Archive of Our Own ^beta

A clash was inevitable when Iscariot and Hellsing occupied the same space, and that was especially applicable to their trump cards, who battled so often that they’d had to expand their battlefield beyond the physical. Their orders, environment and time restraints meant they often couldn’t exchange more than a few snide remarks during encounters, so verbal exchanges had become the more common form of conflict. Sometimes, if they felt any inclination to spare the time, they would exchange verbal blows during battle as well, but Anderson could never get out more than a few words while running full tilt across the battlefield and Alucard could only throw out so many pithy one-liners to someone who couldn’t respond.
当伊斯科里奥特与赫尔辛格共处一室时，冲突在所难免，这对他们的王牌战士而言尤为适用。他们交战如此频繁，以至于不得不将战场延伸到物理空间之外。由于命令、环境和时间限制，他们在遭遇时往往只能交换几句刻薄的嘲讽，因此言语交锋成了更常见的对抗形式。偶尔若有闲暇，他们也会在战斗中唇枪舌战，但安德森在全速穿越战场时总说不完完整句子，而阿卡多也只能对无法回应的人抛出寥寥几句犀利台词。

There were no witty comments coming from Alucard now. He lacked even his customary smile as he came at Anderson, his face as placid as one sleeping with their eyes open. He fought Anderson as doggedly as ever, but with an indifference incongruous with the ferocity behind the blows he was both dealing and taking. Even when Anderson attempted to shock some cognisance back into the man by shouting in his face or slamming bayonets through his head, he gave no response, showed no recognition. 
此刻的阿卡多没有任何俏皮话。他袭向安德森时甚至褪去了标志性的笑容，面容平静得如同睁眼沉睡之人。他仍像往常那样顽强战斗，但那种与凶猛攻势毫不相称的冷漠，既体现在他挥出的每一击，也存在于他承受的每一次伤害。即便安德森对着他的脸怒吼，或是将刺刀贯穿他的头颅试图唤醒他的神志，他也毫无反应，不见丝毫认知迹象。

He had always been more beast than man, but he was now more than ever. The liberal use of Alucard’s hound and thralls made it hard to categorise him as anything else. Anderson struck three of Alucard's thralls in the head and another two in the heart, but it did nothing to chip at Alucard’s supply of bodies, which was so vast that Anderson couldn’t see the Vatican City courtyard through the mass of them. They made it a challenge to maintain proximity to Alucard, who would leap back every so often to let his servants crowd in on Anderson. He was keeping pace with Alucard by the skin of his teeth.
他向来比野兽更不像人类，而此刻尤甚。阿卡多对恶犬与奴仆的大肆驱使，令人难以将其归类为其他存在。安德森击穿三个奴仆的头颅，又刺穿另外两个的心脏，但对阿卡多庞大的躯体储备毫无影响——其数量之多，竟让安德森无法透过它们望见梵蒂冈城的庭院。这些奴仆不断阻挠着安德森接近阿卡多，后者时常后跃让仆从们包围神父。安德森仅以毫厘之差勉强追随着阿卡多的节奏。

As much as Anderson disliked Alucard, it was evident he wasn’t attacking the Vatican of his own volition. Something was compelling him to do it. Not Integra, he was sure, because the Iron Lady would never be so brash as to launch an attack on the Vatican amid a period of peace. They’d had treaty talks just a few months prior, and Integra had been insistent on there being repercussions for anyone who instigated conflict- repercussions they had all agreed to, government officials included. Someone must have wrested control from her. Nothing Anderson found all that surprising, because foulness always befell those who dabbled in black magic.
尽管安德森对阿尔卡特心怀厌恶，但很明显这次袭击梵蒂冈并非出于吸血鬼的本意。某种力量正驱使着他行动。安德森确信不可能是因特古拉指使——这位铁娘子绝不会在和平时期鲁莽地对梵蒂冈发动袭击。就在几个月前双方刚进行过条约谈判，因特古拉还坚持要对任何挑起冲突的人实施制裁，包括政府官员在内的各方都已达成共识。必定有人篡夺了她的控制权。对此安德森并不感到意外，毕竟玩弄黑魔法之人终将自食恶果。

Knowing this made little difference. There wasn’t much he could do with the information, and it didn’t change his objective of subduing Alucard; just had him punctuate it with attempts to break through Alucard’s stupor. He wasn't having much luck with either objective. The sheer mass of Alucard’s army meant Alucard was making steady progress toward his destination, and no amount of yelling or attacking had slowed his advance. Anderson’s soldiers were dying. Some overwhelmed, others using their death to kill masses of thralls through explosives. All their efforts were ineffectual. There weren’t enough of them to repel Alucard’s forces and it’d be at least thirty minutes before the Papal Knights arrived to provide backup. By that point, it would be too late.
即便洞悉真相也于事无补。这个情报对当前局势毫无助益，也无法改变他镇压阿尔卡特的使命——只不过让他在战斗中多了项唤醒吸血鬼神志的尝试。可惜两项任务都进展不顺。阿尔卡特的亡灵军团规模惊人，正势如破竹地逼近目的地，任凭安德森如何怒吼攻击都未能延缓其步伐。他的士兵正在接连倒下，有人力竭战死，有人选择与成群奴仆同归于尽。所有努力都如同蚍蜉撼树。仅凭现有兵力根本无法抵挡，而教皇骑士团的增援至少还需三十分钟才能抵达——届时一切为时已晚。

He sent one of Alucard’s thralls to its knees long enough to use it as a footstool, leaping into the air just high enough to be engulfed in scripture without catching extra bodies in it. There was a split second of warmth and a bright, blinding light before he was deposited over Alucard, who he attempted to slam into with his bayonets. Alucard was prepared. He caught Anderson by the ankle with a thick tendril, and it was such a strange thing, like a flame made of oil, but it didn’t leave any residue on him when it flung him into the concrete.
安德森将一名奴仆踹跪在地，借力跃至半空，恰到好处地让经文结界只笼罩自身。在温暖白光吞没视野的刹那，他已闪现至阿尔卡特上方，双刃直取吸血鬼咽喉。但阿尔卡特早有防备，一条沥青般粘稠的暗影触须缠住他的脚踝——那触感诡异得如同燃烧的石油，却在将他砸向混凝土路面时未留下丝毫污迹。

Anderson shouted as his shoulder and back jarred into the ground. Bone scraped against bone, ligaments tore, blood vessels burst, and everything healed as Anderson fumbled his way back to his feet. Alucard didn’t give him any time to initiate another attack. He lashed out with the shadows again and Anderson had to leap and roll in order to avoid them.
安德森大喊着，肩膀和后背重重砸向地面。骨头与骨头摩擦，韧带撕裂，血管爆裂，而一切又在他踉跄起身时迅速愈合。阿卡德没给他发动下一次攻击的机会，阴影再次鞭挞而来，逼得安德森不得不翻滚跳跃着躲避。

A fissure was left where the tendril had struck and Anderson gave it a wary look before hurtling a barrage of bayonets at Alucard, who slid smoothly out of their trajectory. His eyes never strayed from Anderson. He didn’t so much as blink. While Alucard's face was absent of expression, there was something still present in his eyes. Something malevolent in the ethereal glow of his irises, something primeval, and Anderson’s nerves prickled with the thought of what exactly was left once everything that made Alucard Alucard was taken away.
阴影触须击打之处留下龟裂的痕迹，安德森警惕地扫了一眼，随即向阿卡德掷出密集的刺刀。后者优雅地滑步避开所有攻击轨迹，猩红眼眸始终紧锁着神父。他连睫毛都不曾颤动。阿卡德的面容虽无表情，但那对虹膜里翻涌的幽光却泄露了本质——某种剥离了"阿卡德"人格外壳后残留的、令人毛骨悚然的原始存在。这个认知让安德森后颈的汗毛根根倒竖。

Anderson continued to move to avoid retaliation, leaping and rolling and running. He didn’t often sweat during battle, but he was so slick with it now that he could feel his nape, back and legs were damp. This battle demanded an exertion that had never been required of him before. He’d been repelling the man for at least an hour, and he’d spent every minute of it moving, toeing his limits. His standard battles with Alucard were never this strenuous even when they did draw a sweat. His body was on fire. His eyes were stinging. His lungs ached, and when he swallowed, his tongue felt thick and heavy in his dry mouth. Alucard probably would have made a wry comment about Anderson looking tired had he been cognisant.
安德森持续移动着规避反击，跳跃、翻滚、疾奔。他素来不在战斗中出汗，此刻却连后颈、脊背与腿弯都浸透了黏腻汗液。这场对决榨取着他前所未有的体力——至少一小时的高强度周旋，每一秒都在挑战极限。即便往日与阿卡德的常规较量会让他出汗，也从未如此煎熬。他的躯体在燃烧，眼球刺痛，肺部灼痛，干渴的喉咙吞咽时，舌头像块沉甸甸的皮革。若阿卡德尚存理智，此刻定要讥讽他这副狼狈相了。

He didn’t let the overexertion slow him down. He’d been taught to push himself beyond his limits, and he’d be able to sustain this for hours if he needed to. Or he would have, had Alucard not managed to get a hold of him again and throw him into the cement hard enough to stun him. While he was laying winded in the crater created by his body, he faintly heard Alucard pushing past the remaining Vatican forces and surging into the Vatican stronghold. By the time he’d managed to rise and pursue his opponent, Alucard was deep within the bowels of the Vatican. He turned upon Anderson’s arrival, and there were cloth-wrapped objects clutched between his fingers. Despite the barrier of the cloth and his gloves, steam rose from Alucard's hands in long, grey wisps. He didn’t seem troubled by or even aware of any pain.
他没有让过度消耗拖慢自己的步伐。自幼所受的训练教会他突破极限，若有必要，这种状态他能持续数小时。若非阿尔卡特再度擒住他，将他狠狠砸进水泥地导致短暂昏厥的话。当他躺在自己砸出的坑洞里喘息时，隐约听见阿尔卡特突破残余的梵蒂冈守军，冲进了教廷要塞。待他挣扎起身追击时，那个怪物早已深入梵蒂冈腹地。阿尔卡特在安德森赶到时转过身来，指间紧攥着几件布帛包裹的物件。尽管隔着布料与手套，灰色蒸汽仍如丝缕般从他指缝间升腾。他看起来毫不在意，甚至未曾察觉任何痛楚。

The empty cases for the holy relics kept in Vatican City were the next thing to catch Anderson’s eye. He’d grabbed all of them; the Holy Shroud of Turin, the Lance of Longinus, the Iron Crown of Lombardy, Jesus’ robe, the True Cross- everything except the Nail of Helena, which was still being researched by Matthias. Anderson didn’t care to consider to what end they were being taken. He just needed to take them back.
安德森的目光随即被梵蒂冈城内空荡荡的圣物匣吸引。所有藏品都被洗劫一空——都灵裹尸布、朗基努斯之枪、伦巴第铁冠、基督圣袍、真十字架碎片——唯独海伦娜圣钉因马蒂亚斯尚在研究而幸免。安德森无暇思考对方夺取这些圣物的目的，他只需夺回它们。

“Alexander Anderson.”  "亚历山大·安德森。"

His gaze leapt away from Alucard at being addressed, falling upon a tall man with salt and pepper hair. He wore a cassock, but he was smiling, and Anderson thought him too at ease to be part of the Vatican staff.
这声呼唤使他骤然移开紧盯阿尔卡特的视线，转而望向那位灰白头发的高挑男子。虽然身着法衣，但对方含笑的姿态过于从容，不似梵蒂冈职员应有的神情。

“I am Father Geremia,” said the man, stepping close enough for Anderson to get a good look at his narrow features. Neither his face nor name held any familiarity. “I heard a lot about you from my peers at Iscariot, but we never did get the opportunity to meet.”
“我是杰里迈亚神父，”男人说着走近了几步，让安德森能看清他瘦削的面容。无论是他的长相还是名字都毫无熟悉感。“我在伊斯加略听同僚们提起过你很多次，但我们始终无缘相见。”

Heard. A former adherent of Iscariot, and he couldn’t have been a field worker if Anderson didn’t recognise him. Perhaps someone in intelligence, since Anderson received all his information through his handlers.
听说。曾是伊斯卡利奥特的前成员，如果安德森不认识他，那这人肯定不是外勤人员。也许是情报部门的，毕竟安德森的所有情报都来自他的联络人。

He glanced at Alucard, who hadn’t moved despite Geremia’s approach. That was the question of who was controlling Alucard answered.
他瞥了眼阿尔卡特，尽管杰里迈亚已经逼近，那吸血鬼却纹丝未动。这下谁在控制阿尔卡特的问题有了答案。

“Ideological differences?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"理念不合？"他眯起眼睛问道。

Geremia’s smile took on a sharp quality. “I would think the state of your vampire was answer enough.”
杰里迈亚的笑容变得锋利起来。"我以为你那吸血鬼的状态已经足够说明问题了。"

“My vampire?”  "我的吸血鬼？"

“Is ‘your nemesis’ more palatable? Don’t you pretend you don’t think of Hellsing in those terms.” Geremia wandered closer, extending a hand. Alucard turned toward him as though a marionette on strings. “That’s the problem with you Iscariot’s: you enjoy your work too much and you make it too personal. You’re supposed to be little more than living weapons- you especially, Anderson, but you let yourself have human fancies, get yourself invested in silly little rivalries.”
“换成‘你的宿敌’是不是更顺耳些？别装得好像你没用这种眼光看待 Hellsing。”杰雷米亚踱步靠近，伸出一只手。阿尔卡特如同提线木偶般转向他。“这就是你们伊斯加略的问题所在：你们太享受工作，又太感情用事。你们本该不过是活体武器——尤其是你，安德森，却放任自己怀抱人类的幻想，沉迷于可笑的幼稚竞争。”

Anderson snarled and flung bayonets for the man’s impertinent mouth, only to have Alucard’s shadows catch the blades. Geremia’s lips stretched, unveiling a slither of teeth.
安德森怒吼着朝那无礼之徒掷出刺刀，却被阿卡多的阴影截住了利刃。杰雷米亚的嘴角咧开，露出一排森然白牙。

“They should be keeping you in a room like the abomination you are,” he said smoothly. Anderson struck out again when Geremia was handed the cloth-encased relics, but had his efforts halted by Alucard slamming into him. They both went rolling across the floor, a scrabble of hands and fists and shadows and neither of them seemed able to pin the other down for long.
“像你这样的怪物，就该被关在暗无天日的囚室里。”他语气平静地说道。当杰雷米亚接过裹着布帛的圣遗物时，安德森神父再度发起攻击，却被突然袭来的阿卡多打断。两人翻滚着扭打在地，拳脚与暗影交织，谁都无法长久压制对方。

“When I’m done,” Geremia continued, watching impassively as he and Alucard fought across the room. “You’ll no longer be here, and nor will he. You’re both blights on this world.” His eyes followed the fight with all the casual interest of someone watching a street performer. “You, him, the church, Hellsing, the vampires- they all need to go for this world to achieve some modicum of peace. You're all an affront to God.”
“等我完成仪式，”杰雷米亚冷眼旁观着他们在房间里厮杀，继续道：“你和他就都不复存在了。你们都是这世界的毒瘤。”他注视着这场打斗，眼神就像在看街头卖艺般兴致缺缺。“你，他，教会，hellsing，吸血鬼——只有清除你们，这个世界才能获得片刻安宁。你们都是对神的亵渎。”

Anderson attempted to respond, but he was silenced by sharp, almond-shaped nails digging into his throat, crushing and tearing the soft tissue of his vocal cords. All he managed to get out was a snarl, and the pressure on his throat made it barely audible.
安德森试图反驳，但尖锐的杏仁状指甲刺入他的咽喉，碾碎并撕裂了声带的柔软组织。他只能发出含混的咆哮，喉间的压迫使这声音几乎微不可闻。

“You’ve deceived yourself into thinking yourselves God's messengers and soldiers, but you and the church are just as destructive a force as the vampires- maybe even more so, because the vampires don't claim to be better than they are,” said Geremia with distaste. Anderson dearly wanted to slam a bayonet so far down his throat that he would feel it in his bowels. “I’ll liberate the world from your tyranny first, and then I’ll do what your respective organisations have failed to- I’ll deal with the vampire threat.”
“你们自欺欺人地以为自己是神的使徒与战士，但你和教会与吸血鬼同样是毁灭性的存在——或许更甚，至少吸血鬼不会标榜自己的高尚。”杰雷米亚厌恶地说。安德森恨不得将刺刀捅进他的喉咙直抵脏腑。“我会先让世界摆脱你们的暴政，再替你们无能的组织完成未竟之事——彻底解决吸血鬼的威胁。”

Geremia’s footsteps started to retreat. Anderson smacked his head hard into Alucard’s chin and tore his fingers into the man’s chest and shoved his knees into Alucard's midsection, but it wasn’t enough to free himself. Every time he managed to dislodge from the man, Alucard would just leap upon him again and slam him back down.
杰里米的脚步声开始远去。安德森用头狠狠撞向阿卡德的下巴，手指撕扯着对方的胸膛，膝盖猛击其腹部，却仍无法挣脱。每次他刚挣脱束缚，阿卡德就会再次扑来将他重重按回地面。

For one brief, hopeful moment, he managed to withdraw his bible and start calling upon the scripture to send him to his target- but that, too, was stopped by Alucard, who tore the bible from his grip and tossed it aside.
有那么短暂而充满希望的一瞬，他成功抽出圣经开始吟诵经文，试图传送至目标身边——但这也被阿卡德阻止了，对方夺走圣经随手扔到一旁。

“It’ll be beautiful, poetic justice to defeat you with the holy relics, to enact the real will of God,” Geremia crowed with a smile. “I look forward to seeing you two again, and for the last time.” His voice and footsteps grew fainter. Anderson barely managed to dislodge from Alucard long enough to watch him exit the Vatican storage facility through a side door.
"用圣遗物击败你将是最美妙、最具诗意的审判，这才是上帝真正的旨意。"杰里米微笑着高声道，"期待与你们二位重逢——也是最后一次重逢。"他的声音与脚步声逐渐消散。安德森勉强从阿卡德身下挣脱片刻，只来得及看见他从侧门离开梵蒂冈储藏室的身影。

He snarled furiously, nostrils flaring, and slammed his fist hard into Alucard’s jaw, watching with pleasure as the man’s head went flying back through the glass of one of the cases. Shards went spilling across the floor, which nicked and sliced at them as they fought their way across the room. Anderson’s combat had devolved to slamming into Alucard with everything he had, doing it over and over in the hope enough damage would prompt him to stop- but it was a futile effort, because the man just kept coming, his repertoire of lives seemingly endless.
安德森愤怒地咆哮着，鼻翼翕动，拳头狠狠砸向阿卡德的下颌。当对方的头颅撞碎玻璃陈列柜向后仰去时，他露出快意的笑容。飞溅的碎片在他们缠斗过程中划出无数伤口，散落满地的玻璃渣随着战斗轨迹铺满整个房间。安德森的攻势已退化为纯粹的野蛮冲撞，他不断重复着全力攻击，奢望累积的伤害能让对方停下——但这只是徒劳，因为眼前这个怪物仿佛拥有无尽的生命储备，永远不知疲倦地再度扑来。

And then Alucard fell slack. He fell slack so suddenly that Anderson didn’t cease his attacks until several seconds after the event, and by that time he’d managed to pin Alucard to the floor with a few dozen bayonets. He expected to find Alucard unconscious when he glanced at his face. Instead he was met with wide eyes and gritted teeth, which very evidently had nothing to do with the consecrated silver currently embedded in him.
接着阿尔卡特突然瘫软下来。他瘫软得如此突然，以至于安德森在事情发生几秒钟后才停止攻击，那时他已经用几十把刺刀将阿尔卡特钉在了地板上。当他瞥向对方的脸时，本以为会看到昏迷不醒的吸血鬼。然而映入眼帘的却是圆睁的双眼和紧咬的牙关，这显然与被钉入体内的圣银武器毫无关系。

“Priest,” breathed Alucard. Anderson didn’t linger long enough to hear anything more than that. There was still a chance this ‘Geremia’ was on Vatican premises.   
"神父，"阿尔卡特喘息着说道。安德森没有停留足够长的时间来听更多内容。那个所谓的"杰里迈亚"仍有可能会出现在梵蒂冈的领地上。

He snatched his bible from the floor and circled the entire perimeter of Vatican City, shouldering past civilians, Papal Soldiers, and Vatican staff alike. He didn’t manage to find the man, and when he questioned those near the Vatican City exits, none were able to recall a man fitting Geremia’s description. He expected escape had been easy among the chaos. Without so much as a direction to go in, Anderson had to forfeit the chase for now.
他从地上抓起圣经，绕着梵蒂冈城跑遍每个角落，推开平民、教皇军和教廷工作人员。他没能找到那个人，询问梵蒂冈出口附近的人时，也没有人记得见过符合杰里米亚特征的男人。安德森猜想对方肯定趁乱轻松逃脱了。连个追查方向都没有，他只能暂时放弃追踪。

To Anderson’s surprise, Alucard was still kneeling in the storage room with bayonets pinning him in place when he returned. He’d only managed to wrench out two of them, and going by his pinched brow, that had been a monumental task. He was currently working on removing a blade lodged in his thigh and calf, yanking it back and forth in a way that would have been viciously painful for any human, even for Anderson, but looked little more than a mild annoyance for Alucard.
令安德森意外的是，当他返回时，阿尔卡特仍跪在储藏室里，被刺刀钉在原地。吸血鬼只成功拔出了其中两把，从他紧皱的眉头来看，这已是极其艰难的任务。此刻他正试图拔出嵌在大腿和小腿里的刀刃，来回扭动的动作对人类——即便是安德森——都会造成剧痛，但对阿尔卡特而言似乎只是微不足道的困扰。

Clearly the control Geremia had over Alucard hadn’t ended with his departure.
显然杰里米亚对阿尔卡特的控制并未因其离开而解除。

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, moving around Alucard in a slow circle, wary of another attack.
"你中了什么邪？"他绕着阿尔卡特缓缓踱步，警惕着可能的再次袭击。

Alucard tore the bayonet he was working on free with considerable effort. The wound it left behind was unusually slow to heal, Anderson noticed. He could see the oily threads gathering. Usually the process was so fast he didn’t have time to appreciate how disgusting it was.
阿卡德费了相当大的力气才将正在处理的刺刀拔出来。安德森注意到，留下的伤口愈合速度异常缓慢。他能看见那些油状的丝线正在聚集。通常这个过程快得让他来不及欣赏其恶心之处。

“Something that is going to be detrimental for everyone if it isn’t fixed.” He moved to a bayonet in his chest. “How ironic that a former Iscariot would do this.”
"如果不解决，这对所有人都会造成危害。"他转向插在胸口的那把刺刀。"一个前伊斯加略成员干出这种事，多么讽刺啊。"

Anderson bared his teeth. “What is ‘this’, exactly?”
安德森龇牙咧嘴。"这到底是怎么回事？"

“Desecrated Vatican City, thieved holy relics, dabbled in dark magic,” said Alucard. “I think you know what kind of dark magic to which I refer.”
"亵渎梵蒂冈城，偷窃圣物，玩弄黑魔法，"阿卡德说。"我想你知道我指的是哪种黑魔法。"

Anderson’s eyes dropped to the seals on Alucard’s hands, and Alucard made an affirming sound.
安德森的目光落在阿卡德手上的封印上，后者发出了一声肯定的轻哼。

“Hellsing is going to fix this,” Anderson snarled, circling Alucard at a greater pace. “This is your damned mess! That man would have been a trifle to deal with if your foolish organisation hadn’t given him an in by playing around with dark magic and keeping pet vampires!”
"赫尔斯辛会解决这个问题，"安德森咆哮着，以更快的速度绕着阿卡德转圈。"这都是你们搞出来的烂摊子！要不是你们那个愚蠢的组织玩弄黑魔法还养着吸血鬼宠物，给了那家伙可乘之机，他本来根本不值一提！"

“Your organisation should take greater care in keeping tabs on your former members,” said Alucard calmly.
“你们的组织应该更注意盯紧那些前成员，”阿卡德平静地说道。

Anderson ground his teeth and said nothing, because Alucard had a point there. Their efforts had to be lacking if Geremia’s hostility toward them had gone unnoticed. He expected intelligence to receive an overhaul once all of this had been resolved. And it would be resolved, because Anderson wouldn’t stop until it was.
安德森咬紧牙关没有答话，因为阿卡德确实言之有理。如果连杰雷米亚对他们的敌意都没能察觉，说明情报工作必定存在疏漏。他暗自决定等这一切结束后要彻底整顿情报系统。而这一切终将解决——因为安德森不达目的誓不罢休。

When he glanced down at Alucard, the man was still working at the same bayonet, and Anderson was growing frustrated with seeing Alucard in such straits, particularly at the hands of someone who wasn’t him. Pressing a sigh through clenched teeth, Anderson knelt before Alucard and began wrenching out the bayonets himself, tossing them back into his coat.
当他低头看向阿卡德时，对方仍在费力拔着同一把刺刀。看着宿敌在他人手中如此狼狈的模样，安德森心头涌起无名怒火。他磨着牙长叹一声，单膝跪在阿卡德面前，亲手将那些刺刀逐一拔出，甩手收回大衣内侧。

“Just how weak are you?” he asked, watching with a wrinkled nose as Alucard’s wounds sluggishly knitted shut.
“你到底虚弱到什么程度了？”他皱着鼻子问道，看着阿卡德的伤口以肉眼可见的缓慢速度逐渐愈合。

“As weak as I was when I was captured by the Hellsing family,” said Alucard as he slowly rose to his feet. When he stumbled forward, instinct prompted Anderson to leap up and catch him by the shoulders. It was the first he’d ever touched the man in a non-violent manner, and only with extended contact was he able to appreciate how unnaturally cool Alucard was. He didn’t even have the cold of a corpse; it was something beyond that, something that distinguished him from your average vampire. After the display of power Anderson had seen, it would have been amiss to place him anywhere near the category of other vampires.
"就像当初被赫尔斯家族捕获时那般虚弱，"阿卡德说着缓缓站起身来。当他踉跄前倾时，安德森本能地跃起扶住了他的肩膀。这是他第一次以非暴力方式触碰这个男人，唯有通过持续接触，他才惊觉阿卡德的体温异常冰冷——那甚至不是尸体的寒意，而是某种更超越的存在，将他与普通吸血鬼彻底区分开来。目睹过对方展现的力量后，若还将他与其他吸血鬼归为一类，未免太过荒谬。

He had a suspicion about what Alucard was, but there wasn’t any time to examine that just yet.
他对阿卡德的真实身份有所猜测，但现在还不是深究的时候。

“I thought your service was voluntary,” he said, turning to place Alucard against one of the shattered cases and sweeping his hands down Alucard’s lapels to neaten him.
"我以为你是自愿效力的，"安德森说着转身将阿卡德靠向破碎的陈列柜，双手抚平对方翻皱的衣领。

“To my current Master, it is,” said Alucard, regarding Anderson curiously.
"对现任主人而言，确实如此，"阿卡德以探究的目光注视着安德森答道。

“How does it work?” he asked as he brushed some glass out of Alucard’s red duster. “The magic binding you to Hellsing.”
"这是怎么运作的？"他一边拂去阿卡德红色大衣上的玻璃碎片，一边问道，"将你束缚在 Hellsing 的魔法。"

“It’s intricate blood magic.”
"这是复杂的血之魔法。"

That was the answer he’d feared. Anderson touched his fingers to his temples. Most dark magic involved blood, flesh and bone to some degree, but the category of blood magic was distinct in how it was approached and what it could offer. Using it to indenture someone to your bloodline wasn’t a common use; in fact, this was the first time Anderson had encountered such a thing outside of very old files. There were less perilous methods of achieving what blood magic could, and that those methods didn’t have the same longevity, degree of control, or strength as blood magic was a small issue for most people. Most people didn’t have to keep a vampire of Alucard’s calibre on a leash, after all.
这正是他害怕听到的答案。安德森用手指按着太阳穴。大多数黑魔法都或多或少涉及血液、血肉与骨骼，但血魔法这一类别因其施展方式与所能提供的效果而独树一帜。用它来将某人束缚于血脉谱系并非常见用途；事实上，这是安德森首次在古老档案之外遇到这种情况。要实现血魔法的效果本有更安全的方法，只不过那些方法在持久性、控制力或强度方面略逊一筹——对多数人而言这只是小问题。毕竟，多数人不需要用锁链拴住阿卡多这种级别的吸血鬼。

Anderson had spent so long scouring the Vatican library for some means to kill Alucard that he knew there was nothing on those shelves that would be able to immediately solve this problem. Iscariot knew little to nothing about Alucard, and even less about the kind of seals that bound him. Even being told they were the result of blood magic didn’t elucidate much. He wouldn’t be able to break Geremia’s hold on Alucard through Vatican resources alone. 
安德森曾在梵蒂冈图书馆耗费漫长岁月寻找诛杀阿卡多的方法，他深知那些书架上没有任何能立即解决当前困境的记载。伊斯卡利奥特对阿卡多知之甚少，对束缚他的封印类型更是近乎一无所知。即便被告知这是血魔法的产物，也未能提供多少线索。仅凭梵蒂冈的资源，他无法打破杰里米亚对阿卡多的掌控。

He leaned close enough that their breaths would have mingled had Alucard any breath to speak of. “If Integra could deal with this blood magic mess on her own, I imagine she would have already. Iscariot has over a millennia of experience in dealing with dark magic, and Hellsing is going to have to give Iscariot all the information it possesses on what binds you to Integra’s bloodline so we can do what we're best at.”
他倾身靠近，近到若阿卡多尚有呼吸，两人的气息便会交融。"如果因特古拉能独自解决这个血魔法烂摊子，想必她早就动手了。伊斯卡利奥特拥有千年以上的黑魔法处理经验，而海尔辛必须向我们提供所有关于你与因特古拉血脉束缚的情报——"他的声音带着钢铁般的笃定，"好让我们发挥所长。"

“That isn’t up to me, Judas Priest,” said Alucard with a wry sort of smile. “But I can make a case for it, provided you’re willing to be cooperative for the duration of this issue.”
"这可由不得我做主，犹大祭司。"阿卡多扯出个讥诮的笑容，猩红眼眸在烛光下闪烁，"不过我可以为此斡旋——前提是你愿意在此事解决期间保持合作。"

“Or,” said Anderson, his voice dropping dangerously. “I could just kill you. You’d be of no threat to anyone then, and dealing with the little wretch that caused all this would be considerably easier with you out of the way.”
“或者，”安德森的声音危险地低沉下来，“我可以直接杀了你。那样你就不会对任何人构成威胁了，而且少了你这个绊脚石，解决那个引发这一切的小混蛋会容易得多。”

Alucard laughed. “You wouldn’t be trying to threaten me into compliance if you intended to try.”
阿卡多笑了起来。"如果你真打算尝试，就不会用威胁来逼我就范了。"

“Try?” He scoffed. “You can barely stand!”
"尝试？"他不屑地哼道。"你连站都站不稳！"

“You saw what I have at my disposal, Alexander Anderson,” said Alucard, tilting his head forward, his smile broadening. “So I repeat: I can make a case for you to have access to Hellsing resources if you agree to be cooperative.” He took a step closer, their noses practically touching. “And before you argue, even if you managed to retrieve those relics before Geremia figured them out, it’s not beyond me to destroy all you hold dear under his direction. Albeit, with great reluctance, as he seems to have already made a play by play how your destruction will go, but it would be deeply unwise not to plan for that possibility.”
"你见识过我的手段了，亚历山大·安德森，"阿卡多向前倾身，笑容愈发狰狞。"所以我再说一遍：只要你愿意配合，我可以为你争取使用海尔辛资源的权限。"他又逼近一步，两人鼻尖几乎相触。"在你反驳之前——即便你能在杰雷米亚破解前夺回那些圣遗物，我照样能遵照他的指令毁掉你珍视的一切。虽然极不情愿，毕竟他似乎已经把你灭亡的剧本都写好了，但不为这种可能性做打算就太愚蠢了。"

Anderson’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t protest. The vampire was right: finding Geremia and the relics was pointless if he could use Alucard as a backup plan. He’d no doubt Geremia had left Alucard here as a threat, knowing full well it was one Iscariot would have to take seriously and allocate resources to.
安德森的下颌绷紧了，但他没有反驳。吸血鬼说得没错：如果能将阿卡多作为备用方案，寻找杰雷米亚和圣物就毫无意义。他毫不怀疑杰雷米亚故意将阿卡多留在此处作为威胁，深知十三科不得不严肃对待并为此调配资源。

“I can make a case for our cooperation,” said Alucard again. “And I expect I’ll be a valuable ally when he arms himself with all the relics and appoints himself as a living god, as those sorts are wont to do.”
"我能为我们的合作提供充分理由，"阿卡多再次开口，"当那个人用所有圣物武装自己并自封为活神时——这类人总爱这么干——届时我将成为你们宝贵的盟友。"

“Ally!” Anderson scoffed.
“盟友！”安德森嗤之以鼻。

“I know you aren’t a fool, Father,” said Alucard smoothly. “You’re up against an arsenal of holy relics, and once you’ve been razed through, Hellsing will be next. The Vatican needs Hellsing’s cooperation, and Hellsing needs the Vatican’s.”
“我知道您不是个蠢货，神父，”阿卡德从容说道，“您面对的是整套圣遗物武器库，等您被碾碎后，赫尔辛就是下一个目标。梵蒂冈需要赫尔辛的合作，赫尔辛同样需要梵蒂冈。”

Anderson pursed his lips. He pursed them for several long, tense moments before finally finding the willpower to nod his head. There were few things he found more distasteful than cooperating with Hellsing, but he wasn’t about to put his reservations and pride above the safety of the Vatican. They needed information, and they needed to be able to keep an eye on Alucard, and Integra was the only one who could arrange those things. The relics and Alucard needed to be dealt with to ensure the safety of Vatican City.
安德森抿紧了嘴唇。在漫长而紧张的几秒钟后，他终于强迫自己点了点头。与赫尔辛格合作是他最厌恶的事情之一，但他绝不会让自己的顾虑和骄傲凌驾于梵蒂冈的安全之上。他们需要情报，需要监视阿卡多，而只有因特古拉能安排这些事。为了确保梵蒂冈城的安全，必须处理那些圣遗物和阿卡多。

Alucard chuckled at his display of impotent anger. “Speaking of my Master, I expect she’s anxiously anticipating my return.”
阿尔卡德对他徒劳的愤怒报以轻笑。"说到我的主人，我想她正焦急地盼着我回去呢。"

“When we find her, you’re going to tell her Iscariot is to be involved in every step of this issue,” said Anderson firmly.
“等我们找到她，你必须告诉她这次行动每个环节都要有伊斯加略参与，”安德森斩钉截铁地说。

“You know the terms of me doing that.”
“你知道我出手的条件。”

“I already agree to them,” spat Anderson.
“我早就同意了，”安德森啐道。

“Yes, but we both know you will benefit from frequent reminders.”
“没错，但我们心知肚明——你需要经常被提醒才能记住这事。”

Anderson only offered a grunt in response. Wasting no further time, he curled his hands around Alucard’s shoulders and picked him off the case, dragging him for the exit. Alucard leaned into his side, a strangely cold presence, and when Anderson cast him a side-glance, he saw Alucard’s brow was pinched. He supposed the man wasn’t used to either receiving or needing help. Probably found it demeaning, and Anderson was inclined to agree. He’d even go so far as to say it was demeaning for both of them, because Alucard was his nemesis; the only man who had ever provided him a challenge; his Goliath, and his nemesis needing help felt wrong. He would let Alucard take his pound of flesh when the time came, when they inevitably had Geremia at their mercy, but he felt entitled to a pound himself.
安德森只回以一声闷哼。他不再耽搁，双手扣住阿卡多的肩膀将他从箱子上拽起，拖向出口。阿卡多靠在他身侧，躯体透着诡异的寒意。当安德森斜眼瞥去时，发现对方正紧锁眉头。他猜想这家伙既不习惯接受援助，更不习惯需要援助。大概觉得有辱尊严吧——安德森暗自认同。他甚至认为这对双方都是种折辱，毕竟阿卡多是他的宿敌；是唯一能与他势均力敌的对手；是他的歌利亚巨人。宿敌需要帮助这件事本身就不对劲。等时机成熟，等他们必然会让杰雷米亚跪地求饶时，他自会放任阿卡多索取血债——但他认为自己同样有权讨回代价。

They were greeted by a harried looking Maxwell the moment they stepped outside. His eyes were moving at a hummingbird’s pace, flicking from Alucard to Anderson and then back, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. Maxwell opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Integra before he could speak.
他们刚踏出门外，就撞见了神色慌张的马克斯韦尔。他的眼珠以蜂鸟振翅般的速度来回转动，从阿卡多扫到安德森又扫回来，仿佛无法相信自己所见。马克斯韦尔刚张开嘴，还没来得及出声，就被及时赶到的因特古拉打断了。

“Report,” she said, her voice terse and breathless and fingers tight around the hilt of a sword attached to her hip. She looked more shaken than Anderson had ever seen her, even more so than when he’d his blades within inches of slicing her asunder.
“报告，”她说道，声音短促而急促，手指紧紧攥着挂在腰间的剑柄。她看起来比安德森见过的任何时候都要慌乱，甚至比他的刀刃几乎将她劈成两半时还要失态。

Alucard extracted himself from Anderson’s side to stand respectfully before Integra. “My seals have been compromised by a former Iscariot, who kindly provided the name ‘Geremia’. They’ve taken off with the relics kept by the Vatican-“ Maxwell gave a little, choked gasp at this. “ And deprived me of the bulk of my strength during their departure.”
阿卡多从安德森身旁抽身，恭敬地站在因特古拉面前。"我的封印被前伊斯加略成员破坏了，对方好心地提供了'杰里迈亚'这个名字。他们带着梵蒂冈保管的圣遗物逃走了——"马克斯韦尔闻言发出短促的窒息般抽气。"还在离开时剥夺了我大部分力量。"

“The relics!” Maxwell cried. He tore his fingers into his hair and turned wide eyes on Anderson. “All of them? Did he take all of them, Anderson?”
“圣物啊！”马克斯威尔喊道。他十指深深插进发间，瞪圆了眼睛转向安德森。“全部？他把所有圣物都拿走了吗，安德森？”

“All but what is currently in Matthias’ possession,” said Anderson solemnly.
"除了现在马蒂亚斯手上的那些，"安德森严肃地说。

Integra remained tall and steady, but her pale face belied her composure. “You kept them in the same place?”
因特古拉站得笔直而沉稳，但她苍白的脸色出卖了她的镇定。"你把它们都放在同一个地方了？"

“Of course we did,” said Maxwell, casting Integra a look of affront, one which Anderson matched. “They’re often in display in various chapels for the faithful and otherwise kept in the safety of Vatican storage. And it is safe, usually.” He turned a look of distaste on Alucard. “Only your pet vampire has ever managed to get through its defences, so you have a lot of gall implying our safety measures are substandard!”
“我们当然有，”马克斯韦尔说着，朝因特古拉投去一个被冒犯的眼神，安德森也露出同样的表情。“它们经常在各处教堂展示供信徒瞻仰，其余时间则妥善保存在梵蒂冈的仓库里。而且通常来说很安全。”他转向阿尔卡特，脸上浮现厌恶的神色。“只有你养的这只吸血鬼曾突破过我们的防御，所以你哪来的脸暗示我们的安保措施不达标！”

“Fine,” was all Integra said to that, though with exceptional dryness, and then she turned to address Alucard again. “If he gave you a name, I imagine he went on a spiel about his intentions. So what are they?”
"行吧，"因特古拉只说了这么一句，语气干涩得异乎寻常，随后她转向阿卡多再度开口，"既然他告诉了你名字，想必还发表了一番高谈阔论。那么——他的目的究竟是什么？"

“The usual, master: our deaths,” said Alucard. “Along with all vampires and Catholicism.”
"一如既往，主人：我们的死亡，"阿卡德说道。"连同所有吸血鬼和天主教一起。"

Integra frowned. “If the relics were capable of that, I don’t see why Iscariot wouldn’t have done it already.” She looked expectantly at Maxwell.
英格拉皱起眉头。"如果圣遗物真有这种能力，我不明白为什么伊斯卡利奥特还没动手。"她带着期待的目光看向马克斯韦尔。

“It’s only with the Popes explicit permission that the relics can be used,” provided Maxwell. “And frankly, even after centuries of research, we aren’t entirely sure of what all of them can do. Using them without knowing the exact result could end in disaster.” A pause, and then, hesitantly: “Has resulted in disaster in the past, in fact, so His Most Holy isn’t exactly keen on using them for anything but display.”
"只有教皇陛下明确许可才能使用圣遗物，"马克斯威尔解释道。"坦白说，即使经过几个世纪的研究，我们仍不完全清楚它们的所有功能。在未知确切后果的情况下使用它们，可能会以灾难告终。"他停顿了一下，犹豫地补充道："事实上，过去已经造成过灾难，所以至圣尊者并不热衷于将它们用于除展示以外的任何用途。"

Anderson resumed pacing. He always found it hard to keep still when anxious and he was hard-pressed to think of a more anxiety inducing situation than this. “The relics aren’t the only thing in his arsenal.” He made a snap of a gesture to Alucard. “We need to dedicate some resources to the vampire or Rome may end up overtaken before the little bastard figures out how to use the relics for his purposes.”
安德森又开始来回踱步。焦虑时他总是难以保持静止，而眼下这局面堪称最令人坐立不安的情形。"圣遗物并非他唯一的武器。"他朝阿尔卡特打了个响指。"我们必须分派些人手对付那个吸血鬼，否则在那小混蛋学会如何利用圣遗物达成目的前，罗马恐怕就要沦陷了。"

“I gather he isn’t going to be as discerning and cautious as we would be, but that could still be weeks away,” said Maxwell hopefully. "I mean, he wouldn't have left the vampire here as a distraction if he thought he'd be able to get them prepared within days."
“我猜他不会像我们这样谨慎挑剔，但那可能还要等上好几周，”马克斯韦尔满怀希望地说，“我是说，如果他觉得几天内就能准备好，就不会把吸血鬼留在这里当诱饵了。”

“Him planning around that possibility doesn't ensure us time,” said Anderson, which tempered Maxwell’s hope. “He’ll cut down experimentation by several centuries if he just throws them at test subjects until one sticks.” Which was, coincidentally, exactly what had led to the disaster of the past. He’d no doubt this was exactly what Geremia would do to achieve his ends.
“他针对这种可能性制定计划，并不能为我们争取时间，”安德森的话给麦克斯韦的希望浇了盆冷水，“如果他直接把实验体扔去测试直到成功，就能省下几百年的实验周期。”而巧合的是，这正是导致过去那场灾难的原因。他毫不怀疑杰雷米亚会为了达成目的故技重施。

He spun to face Integra with a raised finger, which she regarded warily.
他转身面对因特古拉，竖起一根手指，而她警惕地盯着这个动作。

“Intelligence needs to focus on tracking down the relics, so I volunteer to deal with Hellsing,” said Anderson. “I’ve already spoken arrangements with the vampire.”
"情报部门需要集中精力追查圣遗物，所以我来负责对付 Hellsing，"安德森说道。"我已经和那个吸血鬼谈妥了安排。"

“Spoken arrangements? With Alucard?” said Maxwell incredulously, his eyes once again jumping between Alucard and Anderson. Integra looked similarly incredulous.
"口头约定？和阿尔卡特？"马克斯韦尔难以置信地说道，目光再次在阿尔卡特和安德森之间来回游移。因特古拉同样露出了怀疑的神色。

“Do we have much choice but to be cooperative?” asked Anderson while eyeing Alucard, who stepped up and offered an affirming incline of his head.
"我们除了配合还有别的选择吗？"安德森盯着走上前来的阿卡德问道，后者点头表示赞同。

“I believe cooperation with Iscariot would be prudent, at this period,” said Alucard, and it was only now that Anderson noticed that his condition had improved over the course of the conversation. His clothes were neater, glasses and hat back in place, and the slump of his shoulders had eased, making his exhaustion less apparent. That was… reassuring, which was an odd feeling to have about Alucard’s well-being considering how many times he’d tried to kill the man. “Our combined forces would make repelling this man considerably easier, and breaking his hold over my seals won’t happen in a timely manner without them,” continued Alucard, running his tongue along his teeth. “Neither your father nor grandfather dedicated much thought to how the seals would be removed, barring the death of the Hellsing bloodline, so I’d go so far as to say we need their resources.”
“我认为现阶段与伊斯加略合作是明智之举，”阿卡德说道，直到此刻安德森才注意到他的状态在谈话过程中有所好转。衣物更整洁了，眼镜与礼帽都回到了原位，肩膀也不再颓然下垂，疲惫感不再那么明显。这真是……令人安心，虽然对阿卡德的健康状况产生这种感受颇为怪异——毕竟他曾无数次试图杀死对方。“我们联手能更轻松地击退此人，”阿卡德继续说着，舌尖扫过齿列，“而若没有他们协助，及时解除他对我的封印控制几乎不可能。无论是你父亲还是祖父，都未曾多考虑封印解除的方式——除非赫尔斯辛血脉断绝——所以我甚至可以说，我们必须借助他们的资源。”

Integra narrowed her eyes. “Why would we remove them?”
英格拉眯起眼睛。"我们为什么要撤走他们？"

“The blood magic has been compromised,” said Alucard with an upward flick of his eyebrows. “That isn’t the sort of thing that can simply be fixed, my master. You are aware of this, and I am aware you won’t waste our precious time trying to fix the unfixable.”
"血魔法已经被破坏了，"阿卡德挑了挑眉说道，"这不是那种可以轻易修复的东西，我的主人。您心知肚明，而我也清楚您不会浪费我们宝贵的时间去尝试修复不可修复之物。"

Integra let out a huff of a breath through her nose and turned a scrutinising look on Anderson. “Just how cooperative are you planning to be, Father Anderson?”
因特古拉从鼻子里呼出一口气，用审视的目光盯着安德森。"你到底打算配合到什么程度，安德森神父？"

Anderson’s answer was immediate: “As cooperative as necessary.”
安德森的回答不假思索：“全力配合。”

“As cooperative as necessary,” Integra parroted, sounding less than pleased with the phrasing. She stared him down for some time before speaking again. “Very well. But if I’m to let you onto my estate grounds, I have some ground rules.”
“必要时的合作，”因特古拉复述道，语气显然对这个措辞不太满意。她盯着他看了好一会儿才再次开口。“很好。但如果我要让你进入我的庄园领地，就得先立几条规矩。”

“Your estate grounds?” asked Maxwell, practically screeching. “Why the hell should I let you run off with our most powerful member? You must think me a fool.”
"你的庄园？"麦克斯韦几乎尖叫着问道，"我凭什么让你带走我们最强大的成员？你当我是傻子吗？"

“Yes,” said Integra drily. “But I assumed you wouldn’t want Alucard anywhere near the Vatican after-“ She cast her eyes over the bodies littering Vatican City. “Today’s events. Her attention returned to Maxwell. "And even you should be aware anyone less than Anderson wouldn't be sufficient to keep an eye on Alucard."
"是啊，"英格拉冷淡地说。"但我以为你不会想让阿卡德在事件之后靠近梵蒂冈——"她的目光扫过遍布梵蒂冈城的尸体。"鉴于今天发生的事。"她的注意力重新回到马克斯韦尔身上。"而且即便是你也该明白，除了安德森之外没人能看住阿卡德。"

Maxwell opened his mouth and then closed it, pursing his lips. He regarded Alucard with immense dislike, and perhaps a touch of unease.
马克斯韦尔张了张嘴又闭上，抿紧嘴唇。他用极度厌恶的眼神打量着阿卡德，或许还带着一丝不安。

“Alright, but.” He hesitated, his brow furrowing. “But in return, we get the butler.”
“好吧，不过。”他犹豫着，眉头紧锁。“但作为交换，我们要得到那个管家。”

Don’t fight with Alucard. Don’t fight with Seras. Don’t leave the library except for meals, sleep, and the bathroom. Don’t leave Alucard’s line of sight. Don’t draw out your bayonets except for defence purposes. Don’t take anything out of the library. Don’t attempt any experimentation without Integra’s authorisation. Don’t try to break the seals yourself. Don’t wander the halls. Don’t interact with the staff beyond what is necessary.
别和阿卡多打架。别和塞拉斯起冲突。除了吃饭、睡觉和上厕所，别离开图书馆。别脱离阿卡多的视线范围。除非自卫，否则别拔出刺刀。别从图书馆带走任何东西。未经因特古拉授权，不得进行任何实验。别试图自行破坏封印。别在走廊游荡。除非必要，别与工作人员互动。

Anderson was accustomed to rules. As a priest and a weapon of Iscariot, he had many he was required to follow, and he was happy to follow them. But even at their most restrictive, he couldn’t recall a time where he’d had to tell someone when he wanted to go to the bathroom so he could be escorted there. Worse still, Alucard had to wait outside, so he was awkwardly thinking about the fact Alucard could hear him pissing whenever he was relieving himself. It didn’t make for a very pleasant experience, but it was one he would have to put up with since he was only on Hellsing grounds through a tenuous truce.
安德森早已习惯各种规矩。作为神父与伊斯加略的武器，他有许多必须遵守的戒律，而他甘之如饴。但即便在最严苛的时期，他也不记得需要向人报备如厕时间以便被押送前往。更糟的是，阿尔卡特还得守在门外，这让他每次解手时都尴尬地意识到——那个吸血鬼正听着自己排尿的声响。这种体验实在称不上愉快，但基于脆弱的停战协议才得以留在赫尔斯辛格领地的他，只能默默忍受。

His work kept him busy enough that he wasn’t too troubled by the restrictions, but he was always hyper-aware of Alucard’s presence, of his lamplight eyes observing him from the shadows. He could feel them burning into him as he made his way through the library in search of materials to supplement those he’d brought from Vatican City. It was a massive library and not especially well lit, courtesy of being very old and absent of most modern touches, so one could easily disappear between the rows. But with Alucard, it didn’t matter how far he ventured; he always felt the man’s eyes on him, even when he couldn’t see those eyes himself. The man’s sight wasn’t hindered by barriers.
他的工作足够繁忙，使他无暇过分在意那些限制，但他始终能强烈感受到阿尔卡德的存在——那双如灯火般的眼睛在暗处注视着他。当他在图书馆中穿梭，寻找补充从梵蒂冈带来的资料时，能感觉到那目光如火焰般灼烧着他的后背。这座古老的图书馆规模宏大却光线昏暗，缺乏现代设施，人很容易消失在成排的书架之间。但面对阿尔卡德，无论他走得多远，总能感觉到那人的视线如影随形，即便他看不见那双眼睛。任何障碍都无法阻挡那个男人的视线。

Alucard had skills beyond those of a normal vampire, and Anderson knew why. But he never did do anything with that knowledge. It didn’t seem especially important after he’d dedicated some thought to it and concluded that Alucard was Alucard no matter who he’d been in the past. If he examined it further, it’d be to utilise it in battle to his advantage- which wasn’t something he’d be able to do until this whole mess was dealt with, so he tried not to let himself get too pumped up for future conflicts.
阿卡多拥有超越普通吸血鬼的能力，而安德森知道其中缘由。但他从未利用过这份认知。经过一番深思后，他觉得这并不特别重要——无论阿卡多过去是谁，现在的他就是阿卡多。若要深究，也只能是为了在战斗中取得优势。但在解决眼前这堆烂摊子之前，这些都无从谈起，因此他竭力不让自己对未来可能的冲突过于亢奋。

The notes on how the seals were forged were so scattered that it made progress on breaking them incredibly and frustratingly sluggish, and in the interest of no one ever attempting exactly this, the previously Hellsing's hadn't left many notes, and fewer still with any substantial information. He went to bed the first night with a heavy heart and got little sleep courtesy of Alucard being required to stand guard outside his door. Something he only agreed to because he didn’t particularly want to let the vampire out his sight either.
关于封印铸造方式的记录散落各处，破解工作进展缓慢得令人抓狂。出于防止后人效仿的考虑，历代海尔辛成员留下的笔记本就寥寥无几，其中包含实质性信息的更是屈指可数。第一晚他心事重重地上床，却因阿尔卡特必须守在门外而辗转难眠——他之所以同意这个安排，不过是因为自己也不愿让吸血鬼离开视线罢了。

By the third day, the only thing he’d managed to glean was that they needed several kinds of dirt from Romania, which Integra sent Seras off to retrieve. He made a wry comment about some dirt perhaps being found among the dust of the library, which was thick enough that Anderson had had to remove his gloves to avoid sullying them, but the girl was dreading the flight to Romania too much to be appropriately amused.
到了第三天，他唯一能搜集到的线索是他们需要几种来自罗马尼亚的泥土，因特古拉便派塞拉斯去取。他挖苦说或许能在积满灰尘的图书馆里找到些泥土——那里的灰尘厚到安德森不得不摘下手套以免弄脏它们——但女孩对飞往罗马尼亚的恐惧让她无暇领会这番幽默。

Early into this third day, he’d also noticed just how fatigued Alucard was, swaying on the spot while he watched Anderson stride around the dimly lit library. Something Integra must have noticed as well, since Integra was increasingly showing up to observe him. He didn’t appreciate the additional set of eyes. While he’d developed some respect for the woman since their first encounter all those years ago, he could barely tolerate being babysat by one Hellsing, let alone two.
第三天清晨，安德森就察觉到阿尔卡特异常疲惫——当他在昏暗图书馆里踱步时，那个吸血鬼竟站在原地微微摇晃。想必因特古拉也注意到了这点，因为她出现的频率越来越高。他厌恶这种额外的监视。尽管经过多年前那场初遇后，他对这位女家主产生了些许敬意，但被一个海辛家族成员盯梢已令他难以忍受，更遑论两个。

“You could sleep,” he suggested to Alucard, watching the man wobble in his peripheral vision.
"你可以睡会儿，"他对着阿尔卡特建议道，余光瞥见对方身形摇晃。

Alucard gave a tired little grunt and steadied himself with a hand on the wall. “It’s not sleep I require.”
阿卡德疲惫地轻哼一声，用手扶着墙壁稳住身形。"我需要的不是睡眠。"

“What is it, then?”  "那是什么？"

“Freedom from the seals, first of all,” said Alucard. “And sustenance until that can be achieved.”
"首先，解除封印，"阿卡德说道，"在那之前还需要维持生命的补给。"

“You have blood bags,” Anderson pointed out with a wrinkle of his nose. The man had drunk so many that his corner was littered with empty packets.
"你有血袋，"安德森皱起鼻子指出。这个男人喝了太多血袋，角落里散落着空包装袋。

Alucard snorted. “Low quality donations that barely touch my hunger. I have the weight of every soul I possess bearing down on me, and the energy requirement of keeping them suspended is immeasurable.”
阿卡德嗤之以鼻。"劣质供品连塞牙缝都不够。我背负着所有吞噬灵魂的重量，维持它们悬浮状态所需的能量根本无法估量。"

“What happens if you run out of energy?” asked Anderson, turning to face him properly now. It couldn’t be anything too serious or Integra would have put some measures in place to ensure Alucard would never reach that point.
“要是能量耗尽了会怎样？”安德森转过身来正对着他问道。这应该不是什么大问题，否则因特古拉早就采取措施确保阿卡德永远不会陷入那种境地了。

“I won’t run out of energy,” said Alucard, which brought some relief to Anderson. “My well of energy is just as endless as my hunger. It will never bottom out.” He spoke these words like a warning, then added in a much more measured voice: “But my functionality will be impacted by my energy being reduced to a trickle. The Police Girl may become your primary guardian when she returns.”
“我的能量不会枯竭，”阿卡德说道，这让安德森稍微松了口气。“我的能量之泉与我的饥渴同样无穷无尽，永远不会见底。”他说这话时带着警告的意味，随后又用更为克制的语气补充道：“但当能量细若游丝时，我的行动能力会受到影响。等警署丫头回来后，她可能会成为你的主要护卫。”

Anderson frowned at that prospect. The girl was skittish and prone to attempts of socialisation - he didn’t want to be watched by her, and more importantly, he wanted to keep an eye on Alucard. There was no one better suited to handling Alucard if he was utilised as a weapon again. 
安德森对这个前景皱起了眉头。那女孩容易受惊又总想套近乎——他既不愿被她监视，更重要的是，他得盯紧阿卡多。倘若那个怪物再次被当作武器使用，没人比他更适合对付阿卡多。

“That’s not going to happen,” he said gruffly. “Ask for more blood bags.”
“这不可能，”他粗声粗气地说，“多要些血袋来。”

“Do you think there’s an infinite stock?” asked Alucard with a cocked eyebrow. “I’m not the only one who requires blood in London, priest. My supply is limited, and I’ve already finished the amount allocated to me today.”
"你觉得血库是无限供应的吗？"阿尔卡特挑起眉毛问道，"神父，伦敦可不只我一个需要鲜血。我的配额有限，今天的份量已经用完了。"

“Get one of the staff to donate, then.”
“那就让工作人员捐点血。”

“The quality of blood between the packets and your average person doesn’t differ that significantly. Even if I drained every one of them to the last drop, it wouldn’t be enough.”
“袋装血和普通人血液的质量差别没那么大。就算我把他们每个人的血都抽干，也不够用。”

After this conversation, it was really no wonder Integra always looked fatigued. Anderson scrubbed a hand up his face and closed the book he’d been reading.
这场对话之后，难怪因特古拉总是一脸倦容。安德森用手搓了搓脸，合上正在阅读的书本。

“Elaborate,” he said impatiently. “I shouldn’t even need to tell you to-!”
"详细说明，"他不耐烦地说道，"我根本不该需要提醒你——！"

“Virgin blood,” Alucard cut in, which rattled Anderson despite the answer making perfect sense. “It has a greater rejuvenating quality than any other blood. I've had a few mouthfuls through the blood packets, but I need more.”
"处女之血，"阿卡德突然插话，尽管这个答案合情合理，却让安德森心头一震。"它的恢复效果远胜其他血液。我通过血包尝过几口，但还需要更多。"

Anderson couldn’t help being aware of how Alucard was looking at him now, eyes half-lidded and covetous, hungry. The same expression he’d been wearing for the past few days, but it was only now that Anderson recognised it for what it was.
安德森无法不注意到阿尔卡特此刻看他的眼神——半阖的眼帘下藏着贪婪与饥渴。这副表情已持续数日，但直到此刻他才真正读懂其中意味。

“Go to your Master,” he said tersely.
“去找你的主人，”他简短地说。

“You aren't understanding, Anderson. She can't accommodate my hunger.” He swallowed. "I need an extraordinary source."
“你不明白，安德森。她满足不了我的饥渴。”他咽了咽口水，“我需要一个非凡的血源。”

Oh, of course. Nothing was ever easy with the Hellsing’s.
啊，当然。和海尔辛家打交道从来都不简单。

“I know what you’re thinking.” Anderson protectively raised a hand to his neck. “And I’m not letting you bite me. I have to draw the line somewhere, vampire.”
“我知道你在打什么主意。”安德森护住自己的脖子，“但我不会让你咬我。总得有个底线，吸血鬼。”

“I don’t have to bite you,” said Alucard, and it was impossible to miss the note of desperation in his voice. Anderson couldn’t will himself to look back into that hungry gaze. “You could fill a container. I know you’d regenerate the blood lost within minutes, so you’d be best for it.” He heard the wet sound of a tongue gliding over lips before Alucard spoke again. “I can smell you from over here, Anderson.”
"我不必咬你，"阿卡德说道，声音里透着难以忽视的焦灼。安德森无法迫使自己回望那道饥渴的视线。"你可以用容器接血。我知道你几分钟就能再生失血，所以你是最佳人选。"他听见湿漉的舔唇声，随后吸血鬼再度开口："我在这里都能闻到你，安德森。"

The remark elicited disgust, which was expected. What wasn’t expected was the accompanying embarrassment, which displayed itself through colour on Anderson's cheeks and the tips of his ears. He turned away from Alucard with his shoulders hunched and pressed a palm to his cheeks in an effort to force away the warmth. He could tolerate Alucard acknowledging that he was a virgin; that wasn’t something he was ashamed of, and it generally went without saying when one was a Catholic priest. What he couldn't tolerate was Alucard actively engaging with that fact.  
这句话引发了厌恶，这本在意料之中。出乎意料的是随之而来的窘迫，安德森脸颊与耳尖泛起的红晕暴露了这一点。他弓着背转身避开阿卡德，用手掌压住发烫的脸颊试图驱散那股燥热。他能忍受阿卡德指出自己童贞的事实——这没什么可耻的，况且天主教神父保持童贞本就是默认的规则。但他无法忍受的是阿卡德竟拿这件事大做文章。

“Get what you can from Integra,” he said stiffly.
“从因特古拉那里能拿多少就拿多少。”他生硬地说道。

A long pause. Anderson remained hunched over the table.
长久的沉默。安德森仍弓着背伏在桌边。

“Very well,” said Alucard at last. “Seras will take over when I require reprieve. I expect to last another day or two before I will no longer be suitable as your guard.”
“很好，”阿卡德最终说道。“当我需要休息时，塞拉斯会接替我的工作。我预计还能再坚持一两天，之后就不再适合担任你的护卫了。”

“The girl can watch, if necessary, but you won’t be leaving the library.” Anderson rubbed one of his red-tipped ears. “I want to keep an eye on you.”
“必要时那姑娘可以旁观，但你别想踏出图书馆半步。”安德森揉搓着自己发红的耳尖，“我得盯着你。”

He could almost hear the furrowing of Alucard’s eyebrows. “Do you expect me to drag my coffin in here? Because I will need it to be even moderately comfortable.”
他几乎能听见阿卡德皱眉的声音。"你指望我把棺材拖进来吗？因为我至少需要它才能勉强舒服点。"

“Sit in a corner,” said Anderson, flapping a hand toward the corner Alucard was currently occupying. “You said you won’t run out of energy, so comfort isn’t an issue.”
“蹲墙角去，”安德森说着朝阿尔卡特正占据的角落挥了挥手，“你说过自己不会耗尽能量，那舒不舒服就无所谓了。”

Alucard barked a laugh, and that was enough to compel Anderson to turn back around regardless of the state of his face.
阿卡德发出一声短促的笑，这足以让安德森不顾自己脸上的状况又转回身来。

“You demand concessions from me when you aren’t willing to extend them yourself.” Alucard spoke fast and clipped, straightening as much as his condition would allow. Which wasn’t very much. “I’m sure you feel entitled to them, like the church always does, but I am not among your faithful, and nor am I among the many Rome has subjugated and forced their will upon. If you want me to sit in here with you despite the immense discomfort it would cause me, then I require something from you in return.”
"你自己都不愿让步，却要求我做出妥协。"阿卡德语速飞快而尖锐，在身体状况允许的范围内尽可能挺直脊背——虽然幅度实在有限。"我敢说你觉得这是天经地义，就像教会一贯的做派。但我既非你的信徒，也不属于罗马用武力征服的芸芸众生。若要我忍着强烈不适陪你坐在这里，你就得付出相应的代价。"

Anderson’s jaw involuntarily tightened. It was obvious Alucard’s words were prompted by his exhaustion, but it made Anderson no less annoyed to acknowledge that.
安德森的下颌不自觉地绷紧。显然阿卡德的话是出于疲惫，但承认这一点丝毫没能减轻他的恼怒。

“It’s for the benefit of all of us that I’m telling you to stay here,” he snapped. “I can be first to act if you’ve overtaken while I’m nearby.”
"我让你留在这里是为了大家好，"他厉声说道。"如果你在我附近失控，我可以第一时间采取行动。"

“I don't care,” said Alucard, speaking brusquely. “It’s a concession for me to remain here despite my discomfort, and despite my vulnerability, and particularly so when I know you’d slink off to somewhere dark and quiet yourself were you in a similar situation. You either do this for me, or you'll just have to put up with my absence.”
“我不在乎，”阿卡德生硬地说道，“让我忍受不适、暴露弱点留在这里已经是让步了，尤其当我清楚换成你处在同样境地，肯定早就溜去什么阴暗安静的角落。要么你替我办这件事，要么就忍受我的缺席。”

Alucard wobbled as he stepped out of the dark, and in the light Anderson could see just how pallid he was, his skin so white and translucent that Anderson could see a hint of a withered vein in his neck. His state was dire and that served to make Anderson even more frustrated.  Maybe they could have figured something else out if he’d spoken up sooner. As it was, Alucard didn’t look as though he’d manage to last even the day or two he was suggesting.
阿卡德踉跄着从黑暗中走出，在光线照射下安德森能清楚看到他惨白的脸色——那肌肤苍白得近乎透明，甚至能隐约看见颈部枯萎的血管脉络。他的状况如此糟糕，这让安德森愈发焦躁。要是这家伙早点开口，或许他们还能想出别的办法。可眼下看阿卡德这副模样，恐怕连他提议的一两天都撑不过去。

“You're being unreasonable,” he snarled out, trying to ease his foul mood by rearranging his supplies, moving books and papers into neat stacks and wiping the dust off the table with a fist. He couldn’t get into a fight with Alucard. He couldn’t satiate his anger that way, so he tried to channel it into something productive instead.
“你简直不可理喻。”他咬牙切齿地说道，试图通过整理物品来缓解恶劣情绪，将书本文件码成整齐的摞，用拳头抹去桌面的灰尘。他不能和阿卡多起冲突。那种方式无法平息怒火，于是转而将愤懑倾注到更有建设性的事情上。

Tried being the operative word, because Alucard threw himself into Anderson a moment later and there was no restraining himself after that. The only problem was, Alucard caught his wrists before he could give him a good pummel, his grip deceptively strong despite his poor health and his eyes wide and bright with an arcane power. Anderson had his mouth open and a snarl of a question ready in his throat, but he was shocked into silence when Alucard closed his lips over the side of his hand.
"试图"这个词用得恰如其分，因为下一秒阿卡德就扑向了安德森，此后便再难自控。唯一的问题是，在安德森能好好揍他一顿之前，阿卡德就扣住了他的手腕——尽管健康状况糟糕，那握力却强得惊人，双眼因某种神秘力量而炯炯发亮。安德森张着嘴，喉间滚动着咆哮般的质问，但当阿卡德的嘴唇贴上他手背时，他震惊得哑然失声。

A pinprick of red sliding into the crevice of his palm caught his eye. He hadn’t even noticed he’d given himself a paper cut. Alucard had, evidently, and he was ravenously lapping away what little blood had spilt, his tongue slick and cold on Anderson’s heated skin. It was more so shock than Alucard’s grip that kept him in place. And following the shock, it was something much less viable as an excuse that had him yielding to Alucard’s roving tongue, something much more foreign and primal. His face wasn’t the only thing that warmed this time.
一点猩红滑入他掌心的纹路，这细微动静攫住了他的注意力。他甚至没察觉自己被纸划伤了。阿卡德显然注意到了，正贪婪地舔舐那点溢出的血珠，冰凉湿滑的舌在安德森发烫的皮肤上游走。真正钉住他身形的并非阿卡德的钳制，而是震惊本身。而紧随震惊之后，迫使他屈服于吸血鬼巡游舌尖的缘由，却是某种更难辩解的、全然陌生而原始的冲动。这次发烫的不止是他的脸。

He felt the scrape of teeth, told himself he should push Alucard away, fought for self-control, and then Alucard’s fangs slid smoothly into his flesh and all thoughts were promptly whisked away by a wave of pleasure. He practically keeled over, kept upright only by Alucard guiding him to lean against the table. His fingers and toes were burning, his pulse was stumbling in his throat. Heat roared its way down the length of his spine to settle somewhere at the base, where it radiated out to his gut.
当犬齿刮过皮肤时，他告诫自己该推开阿卡德，却在争夺自控权的瞬间，被对方利齿顺畅刺入血肉的触感击溃——所有思绪立刻被愉悦的浪潮卷走。他几乎向前栽倒，全靠阿卡德将他抵在桌沿才勉强站立。指尖与趾尖都在灼烧，喉间的脉搏踉跄失序。炽热沿脊椎一路奔涌至尾椎，在那里炸开成辐射向腹部的热浪。

This wasn’t what a vampire’s bite was meant to be. He’d heard it could be pleasurable, but this was beyond anything he’d ever imagined, beyond anything he had the capacity to imagine as such a pious man. Each mouthful Alucard took from him elicited a tremble. The church had taught him how to fight against pain, but they'd provided few tools to use against pleasure, and his body and mind were vulnerable after a lifetime of abstinence. No injury had ever caused him to feel this weak.
这绝非吸血鬼噬咬应有的感受。他虽听闻过其中快意，但此刻体验早已超越最狂野的想象——对于他这样虔诚的修士而言，这本是连想象都构成亵渎的领域。阿卡德每啜饮一口都引发新的战栗。教会曾教导他抵御痛苦之法，却从未授予对抗欢愉的武器，在终生禁欲之后，他的身心对此毫无招架之力。从未有任何创伤能令他如此溃不成军。

The dizziness that accompanied Alucard’s hungry fervour was welcome, and he found himself staring down at Alucard, drinking in the sight of Alucard satiating himself on his blood. Even as awareness began to creep back in, he didn’t look away, nor pull out of Alucard’s grip, his attention fixed on the man, on his nemesis, his Goliath.
伴随阿卡德饥渴狂热而来的眩晕感令人沉醉，他发现自己正俯视着阿卡德，贪婪地注视着对方啜饮自己鲜血的模样。即便意识逐渐回笼，他仍未移开视线，也没有挣脱阿卡德的掌控，目光始终锁定在这个男人身上——他的宿敌，他的歌利亚巨人。

Your vampire echoed through his mind. His. His vampire. He always had thought of Alucard in those terms and it hadn’t really struck him as odd until now. Alucard had taken to referring to him as his beloved nemesis some time ago, and that, too, hadn’t registered as odd. Geremia’d had a point- his relationship with Alucard was over-invested.
你的吸血鬼在他脑海中回荡。他的。他的吸血鬼。他一直都是这样看待阿卡多的，直到此刻才意识到这种想法有多奇怪。阿卡多不久前开始称他为心爱的宿敌，而他也未曾觉得这个称呼有何不妥。杰雷米亚说得对——他与阿卡多的关系确实过度投入了。

He felt a little like his wings were being clipped as Alucard’s cool tongue roved over the pock marks on his hand, the pleasure continuing to ripple through his body like a fading whirlpool.
他感觉自己的羽翼仿佛正被修剪，当阿尔卡德冰冷的舌头掠过他手上的痘痕时，快感如同逐渐消散的漩涡般持续在他体内荡漾。

The moment Alucard withdrew, he shoved the man away and turned to shakily grasp at the edge of the desk. His blood throbbed inside him like it’d just been struck with electricity, and what was happening beyond his belt was best not acknowledged.
阿尔卡德抽身的瞬间，他猛地推开对方，颤抖着转身抓住桌沿。血液在他体内奔涌，如同刚遭受电击，而皮带下方发生的事最好装作不知。

“Priest,” said Alucard, and then he quietly amended himself: “Anderson. I apologise.” He heard Alucard moving behind him, but he didn’t turn around. Couldn’t, in his current state. He couldn’t let Alucard see just what his bite had done to him. “My impulses got the better of me.”
“神父，”阿卡德说道，随后又轻声改口，“安德森。我很抱歉。”他听见阿卡德在身后走动的声音，却没有转身。以他现在的状态，根本做不到。他不能让阿卡德看见那一咬对他造成了怎样的影响。“我一时冲动失控了。”

Anderson swallowed. His mouth was dry. Alucard’s impulses weren’t the only ones that had taken the reins, and any anger he might have felt had been smothered by the shame of knowing that. He couldn’t even salvage the situation by claiming he would never let Alucard do that again, as was his first instinct. The defence had barely risen to the surface of his mind before he’d had to brush it away as a lie. 
安德森咽了咽口水，喉咙干涩。占据主导的不只是阿卡多的冲动，而任何可能的愤怒都被随之而来的羞耻感所淹没。他甚至无法像本能驱使的那样，通过宣称绝不会再让阿卡多得逞来挽回局面。这个辩护念头刚浮现在脑海，就不得不被他当作谎言拂去。

He should have being viciously opposed to being bitten after that. Instead, he was more amenable to it, and he hated himself for that.
他本该对此深恶痛绝才对。可他却愈发顺从了，这让他痛恨自己。

Were he a man more inclined to flee from difficult things, he would have retired to his sleeping quarters to finish up his work there. But Anderson had never been one to take the cowards way out.
若他是个惯于逃避困境之人，此刻早该躲进寝室完成工作。但安德森从来不屑于懦夫的退路。

“Did you get enough?” he asked.
“你吃饱了吗？”他问道。

“Pardon?”  “什么？”

“Did you get enough for tonight?”
“今晚的量够了吗？”

He wondered what kind of expression Alucard was wearing, but he didn’t give into the urge to look. He might not like what he saw (or worse, he might).
他想知道阿卡德此刻脸上是什么表情，却强忍着没有转头去看。或许他不愿看到那副神情（更糟的是，或许他正渴望看到）。

“That will keep me stable for the rest of the night and a little beyond that, yes.” He heard Alucard bend, then the thump of books and loose papers being placed back on the table. “Will you be so generous in the following days?”
"这足够让我稳定度过今晚，甚至还能再撑一小会儿，没错。"他听见阿卡德弯腰的声响，接着是书本和散落纸张被放回桌面的闷响。"接下来的日子里，你也会如此慷慨吗？"

Anderson worked his jaw as he mulled over the question. The pleasure of the bite was still playing along his nerves and he hated how compelling it was, hated how much the fact it was sourced from Alucard contributed to that.
安德森磨着牙思考这个问题。齿痕带来的快感仍在神经末梢流窜，他憎恶这种难以抗拒的诱惑，更憎恶这份诱惑源自阿卡德这个事实。

“Is it normal?” he found himself saying, the words spilling out before he could stop himself. “For it to feel so-?” He didn’t finish, his sentence ending in a sharp exhale.
"这正常吗？"他听见自己脱口而出，话语不受控制地溢出来，"感觉这么——？"后半截句子化作一声急促的喘息，消散在空气里。

“Sentiment and intent has a lot to do with it,” said Alucard, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “Despite what you may assume of my feelings toward you, I am fond of you, Anderson, and regard you as a worthy opponent. My bite reflects that.” Further books were placed on the table. “It’s generally agonising when I bite someone, so consider yourself special.”
“情感与意图在其中起了很大作用，”阿卡德说道，声音一反常态地温柔。“尽管你可能对我的感受有所误解，但我确实喜欢你，安德森，并将你视为值得尊敬的对手。我的咬痕正是这种情感的体现。”他又往桌上放了几本书。“通常被我咬伤的人都会痛苦不堪，所以你应该感到特别。”

Anderson tried to scoff, but he didn’t have enough breath in his lungs to do so. He took a moment to bring his breathing back to stability.
安德森试图发出轻蔑的哼声，但他的肺里没有足够的空气来完成这个动作。他花了一点时间让呼吸重新稳定下来。

“Your presence in my life makes it immeasurably more difficult,” he muttered.
"你的存在让我的生活变得无比艰难，"他低声说道。

“If you had any inclination, you could have extracted yourself from me a long time ago,” said Alucard, and he pressed on before Anderson could comment on that. “Will your generosity continue?”
“若你真有此意，早该将我体内之物取走，”阿尔卡特说道，未等安德森回应便继续逼问，“你的慈悲心肠还能持续多久？”

For a long time, Anderson was silent. Alucard didn’t break it, nor give any indication that he minded it at all. In the quiet that stretched between them he tried to bring his thoughts under control, compartmentalise them like he had so many other things in his life, but he ultimately failed in his efforts and had to resort of simply not dedicating too much thought to his situation at all. That was the reprieve of men like him: not thinking, and as a weapon of Iscariot, it was something he employed often.
安德森沉默了许久。阿卡德没有打破这份沉默，也丝毫未显露出介意的神色。在这片横亘于两人之间的寂静中，他试图控制自己的思绪，像对待生命中其他无数事物那样将其分门别类，但最终徒劳无功，只得索性不再过多思考自身处境。这正是他这类人的喘息之道——不去思考，作为伊斯卡利特的武器，这向来是他惯用的手段。

“I’m not agreeing to feed you because it’s... because the sensation is pleasant,” he said, and that was the truth. He wasn’t a man who could be motivated into action by pleasure alone, and he knew he wouldn’t have found the pleasure motivating at all had he been bitten by someone other than Alucard. His motivation was too complicated to be reduced to a single element.
“我同意让你进食不是因为...不是因为那种感觉令人愉悦，”他说道，这是实话。他并非那种仅凭快感就能驱动行动的人，而且他知道，若非被阿卡德咬伤，这种快感根本不会成为他的动机。他的动机太过复杂，无法简化为单一因素。

Of course, it being complicated didn’t necessarily make what did motivate him a good, permissible thing, so he was still going to need to do some praying to make up for the troubling sentiments for Alucard he was currently courting. When he got back to the Vatican, a long session in the confession box awaited him.
当然，复杂并不意味着驱使他行动的动机就是正当或可被允许的，因此他仍需通过祈祷来弥补此刻对阿卡德滋生的那些危险情愫。等回到梵蒂冈后，告解室里漫长的忏悔正等待着他。

“I need to keep an eye on you,” he said thickly. “And that seems to be the most agreeable way to do it for both of us.”
“我得盯着你，”他含糊不清地说道，“而这对我们俩来说似乎是最合适的方式。”

“It was agreeable, was it?” asked Alucard playfully. A tone of voice that usually inspired anger in Anderson, but now only served to ease some of his tension. It was a tone that let them slip neatly back into their proper dynamic.
“很愉快，是吗？”阿卡德戏谑地问道。这种语气通常会让安德森火冒三丈，此刻却奇妙地缓解了他的紧绷。正是这样的语调，让他们自然而然地回归到惯有的相处模式。

“Don’t push it,” he warned. “Agreeable is the best you’re going to get.”
“别得寸进尺，”他警告道，“‘愉快’已经是你能得到的最好评价了。”

“You wound me so, priest,” said Alucard, his smile audible, and it was clear he was guiding Anderson into a witticism, a little something to break the remaining tension. 
“您这话可真伤人啊，神父。”阿卡德的声音里带着明显的笑意，显然是在引导安德森接个俏皮话，好彻底打破剩余的紧张气氛。

“Not as satisfying as an actual wounding,” said Anderson. “But it’ll do.”
"不如真正的伤口来得痛快，"安德森说。"不过也凑合了。"

It didn’t occur to him until well after he’d retired to his sleeping quarters that he could have insisted upon containers being used for future feedings, and the fact he decided against bringing it up despite Alucard standing just outside his door was something he wasn’t sure even prayer could cleanse.
直到他回到寝舍许久后，他才突然意识到自己本可以坚持要求今后用容器盛装血液。而事实上，尽管阿卡德就站在门外，他却选择对此只字不提——这种罪孽，他怀疑连祈祷都无法净化。

Many of the experiments described in the dog-eared papers and journals Anderson extracted from the bowels of the library seemed deeply unpleasant. Anderson was no stranger to being the subject of unpleasant experimentation; it was why he’d developed an aversion to the Vatican laboratories and avoided them for all but his quarterly check-ups, but even at his most uncomfortable, he’d still gone down there willingly. He’d still chosen to be a test subject. No one had forced him. Going by the writings of the late Hellsing, that couldn’t be said for Alucard, who was described to have been resistant throughout the initial experimentation and only began to settle upon the application of the seals.
安德森从图书馆深处翻出的那些卷边纸张与期刊中记载的多数实验，读来都令人深感不适。他本就不陌生于成为不愉快实验的对象——这正是他对梵蒂冈实验室心生厌恶、除季度体检外避之不及的原因。但即便在最难熬的时刻，他仍是自愿踏入那些实验室的。是他自己选择成为实验体，无人强迫。而根据已故海尔辛的记载，阿卡多的情形却截然不同：文献描述他在初期实验中始终抗拒，直至封印加身才逐渐安定下来。

Learning of this side of Alucard exacerbated the tension between them. He was growing very familiar with Alucard as not just his nemesis, but as an individual; someone with a history and struggles and wants and needs, things that challenged the narrow view he’d always had of Alucard. It brought to light why such a proud, dominating man would be so submissive and subservient to a human, and it further complicated the troubling sentiments he had for the man.
了解到阿卡德的这一面加剧了他们之间的紧张关系。他逐渐熟悉的不只是作为宿敌的阿卡德，而是作为一个有血有肉的人——一个有着过往、挣扎、欲望与需求的个体，这些彻底颠覆了他对阿卡德长久以来的狭隘认知。这让他终于明白，为何如此骄傲而强势的男人会对一个人类如此顺从与臣服，也让他心中那份困扰的情感变得更加复杂难解。

“They should have killed you,” he commented to Alucard. “Instead of this arrangement.”
“他们本该杀了你，”他对阿尔卡特评论道，“而不是搞这种安排。”

It wasn’t a remark born of hostility, and the way Alucard smiled suggested he knew that.
这话并非出于敌意，而阿尔卡特的微笑表明他心知肚明。

“How far have you read?” asked Alucard as he wandered over, pulling up a seat for himself.
“你读到哪部分了？”阿尔卡特踱步过来问道，随手给自己拉了把椅子。

“Far enough to know we’ll need to prepare some fresh silver later,” said Anderson, flicking through the pages of one of the late Hellsing’s journals. He’d already read each entry multiple times, but they had such a limited amount of information to work with that he had to try to glean all he could from every sentence. “Those seals of yours,” he murmured. “They help stabilise you, don’t they?”
“足够知道我们待会儿得准备些新鲜银器的程度，”安德森翻动着已故海尔辛某本日记的书页答道。每篇日记他都反复读过多次，但手头的情报实在有限，他不得不从字里行间榨取所有可能的线索。“你那些封印，”他低语道，“是帮你维持稳定的，对吧？”

“They do.”  “确实如此。”

“Then what’s going to happen when we remove them?” asked Anderson.
“那我们把它们取出来后会发生什么？”安德森问道。

Alucard clicked his teeth, his gaze trailing away from Anderson. “I’ll need to release the souls to maintain self-control, and they’ll have to stay out until something new can be put in place.”
阿卡德咔哒一声合上牙齿，目光从安德森身上移开。“我需要释放那些灵魂来保持自控，在找到新的替代品之前，它们必须留在外面。”

A winkle in Anderson’s brow deepened. If Anderson had to release those souls, the entire world would know about it within the hour. “Is anyone working on what that ‘something new’ will be?”
安德森眉间的皱纹更深了。如果安德森必须释放那些灵魂，不出一个小时全世界都会知道这件事。“有人在研究那个‘新替代品’是什么吗？”

“We’re currently leaning toward an amended version of the seals.” Alucard leaned back in his chair, hands cupped neatly in his lap. “Which will no longer indenture me to Hellsing, if you’re wondering. It’ll just be the control system.”
"我们目前倾向于采用改良版的封印术。"阿卡德向后靠在椅背上，双手优雅地交叠置于膝头，"如果你好奇的话——新版本不会再把我束缚在赫尔辛格家族名下，仅仅保留控制系统功能。"

“Are you sure it’ll work?” asked Anderson wearily, worrying a hand up through his hair.
"你确定这能奏效？"安德森疲惫地问道，手指烦躁地捋过自己的头发。

“No,” said Alucard. “It took Abraham months to prepare the seals he used and this is being arranged over days.”
"不确定，"阿卡德承认，"当年亚伯拉罕花了数月准备封印咒文，而这次我们只有几天时间筹备。"

That was about the answer he’d expected. Anderson sighed and dropped his hand back to the table, ignoring the hair that fell over his forehead. He would neaten it later. “This is going to be a media circus.”
这答案正如他所料。安德森叹息着将手放回桌面，任由额前散落的发丝垂落——稍后再整理也无妨。"媒体绝对会把这事炒成马戏团表演。"

“Humanity will adapt to the knowledge of vampires,” said Alucard smoothly, with a touch of admiration. “Your kind has a knack for it.”
"人类会适应吸血鬼存在的认知，"阿卡德流畅地说道，带着一丝赞赏，"你们这个种族很擅长适应。"

Anderson turned a scrutinising look on Alucard. No matter how many times Alucard indicated he saw value in humankind, perhaps even more than he saw in his own kind, it never ceased to bewilder him. “You say that almost fondly.”
安德森用审视的目光看向阿卡德。无论阿卡德多少次表现出他认为人类有价值——甚至可能比他自己种族的价值更高——这始终让安德森感到困惑。"你这话说得几乎带着喜爱。"

“Of course.” Alucard tipped his head, the corners of his mouth stretching and unveiling a hint of a fang. “It helps to have one I hold in such high regard sitting before me.”
“当然。”阿卡德微微颔首，嘴角上扬时露出一抹尖牙的寒光，“能有位我如此敬重的人物坐在面前，确实令人愉悦。”

Anderson shifted awkwardly in his chair. “I’m your enemy, Alucard.”
安德森在椅子上不自在地动了动。“我是你的敌人，阿卡德。”

Alucard laughed. “Respect and hostility don’t have to be mutually exclusive. You know that just as well as me, Anderson.”
阿卡德大笑起来。“敬意与敌意并非不能共存。你和我一样清楚这点，安德森。”

Anderson wasn’t able to hold Alucard’s warm, wanting gaze for more than a few moments before embarrassment compelled him to look away, his eyes dropping to the journal page he’d read so many times now he could well have recited it from memory. He’d expected spending time with Alucard to be difficult, but not in this manner.
安德森无法承受阿卡德那炽热渴求的目光，不过数秒便窘迫地别开脸，视线落在那页他反复研读以至于能倒背如流的日记上。他早料到与阿卡德共处会很难熬，却未曾想是以这种方式。

“You’re learning a great deal about me from my late master’s old journals and notes,” Alucard pressed on. He leaned across the table to pick at the corner of the journal Anderson was examining. “I think it’s only fair you indulge my curiosity a little.”
"你从我已故主人的旧日记和笔记里了解了我不少事，"阿卡德继续道。他倾身越过桌面，拨弄着安德森正在查看的那本日记的边角。"我觉得你稍微满足一下我的好奇心才公平。"

“I have more important things to be doing,” said Anderson.
"我有更重要的事要做，"安德森说。

“You can multi-task,” said Alucard, flicking to the next page for Anderson since he’d neglected to do it himself. Anderson’s face warmed at being caught out.  
“你可以一心多用。”阿卡德说着，替忘记翻页的安德森翻过下一页。被当场抓包的安德森顿时涨红了脸。

“Fine, since you’re so insistent.” He knew so much about Alucard now that it bordered on uncomfortable, so offering some answers in return could ease that. “You can ask a few questions, but if I say ‘pass’, you’re to drop the subject immediately. Is that clear?”
“行吧，既然你这么坚持。”如今他对阿卡德的了解已多到令人不适的地步，或许交换些答案能缓解这种尴尬。“你可以问几个问题，但如果我说‘跳过’，你必须立刻终止这个话题。明白吗？”

“Perfectly.” Alucard made himself comfortable by dropping back in his chair and raising his legs to the table, crossing them at the ankle. Anderson shot him an annoyed look, which Alucard ignored. “You know how I came to be indentured, so how did you come to be Iscariot’s regenerator?”
“一清二楚。”阿卡德惬意地向后仰倒在椅子里，将双腿架到桌上交叠起来。安德森投去恼怒的眼神，被他直接无视。“你知道我如何沦为契约者，那么你又是怎样成为伊斯加略再生者的？”

“Through survival,” he answered simply. He hadn’t been the only candidate for the regenerator project. He hadn’t even been the most promising candidate, but he had been the only one who survived having his body reassembled from the inside out by biotechnology. The technology had improved significantly since he’d been made and they’d managed to mildly enhance some other soldiers, but it’d be some time before they eliminated the possibility of bodies being irrevocably damaged by the process instead of improved, and even longer before survivability for the full regeneration process wasn’t in the realm of one to five percent.
“为了活命。”他简短答道。再生者项目的候选者不止他一人，他甚至不是最有潜力的那个，却是唯一挺过生物科技从内到外重组躯体的人。自他改造成功后技术已有长足进步，他们甚至能对其他士兵进行轻度强化，但要彻底消除躯体在改造过程中不可逆损毁的风险仍需时日，至于让完全再生过程的存活率突破百分之五的瓶颈——那更是遥不可及。

“And?” Alucard pressed.  “然后呢？”阿卡德追问道。

“I was a decent, dedicated soldier who survived the process,” he said, shrugging a shoulder. “There isn’t much more to it than that.”
“我是个品行端正、尽职尽责的士兵，熬过了改造过程，”他耸了耸肩说道，“除此之外没什么特别的。”

Anderson’s eyebrows shot up. “The rest died?”
安德森的眉毛高高扬起。“其他人都死了？”

“I thought that was implied.”
“我以为这是不言而喻的。”

“I’m just impressed,” said Alucard, and he certainly sounded it. “Your perseverance is something to be admired, my beloved nemesis.”
“我只是感到钦佩，”阿卡德说道，他的语气确实如此。“你坚持不懈的精神值得赞赏，我亲爱的宿敌。”

Anderson needlessly cleared his throat. His face didn’t warm, which was a small victory. “Are you done or is there something else you want to know?”
安德森不必要地清了清嗓子。他的脸没有发烫，这算是个小小的胜利。"你说完了吗，还是有什么别的想知道的？"

“I’m nowhere near done. I could go all night, if you permitted it.”
“我还远没结束。只要你允许，我可以整夜继续。”

“I won’t.”  “我不会。”

“That’s about the answer I expected.” Alucard thoughtfully drummed his fingers on his thigh. “What kind of soldier were you prior to becoming a regenerator?”
“这倒是我预料中的回答。”阿卡德若有所思地用手指敲打着大腿，“在成为再生者之前，你是哪种士兵？”

“I just told you,” said Anderson, flippant. “Dedicated.”
“我刚告诉过你，”安德森轻率地说，“忠诚的那种。”

“Surely there are more adjectives you could use than that.”
“肯定还有比这更丰富的形容词可用吧。”

“Committed,” offered Anderson, thinking himself quite funny. “Devoted, driven, loyal, resolute.” He was pleased when his wit earned him a chuckle.
“矢志不渝，”安德森自认为很幽默地答道，“虔诚、执着、忠诚、坚定。”当他的俏皮话换来一声轻笑时，他颇为得意。

“That a priest is capable of humour never ceases to surprise me,” said Alucard. “But if you don’t wish to answer, you only need say ‘pass’.”
“神父居然具备幽默感，这总能让我惊讶，”阿卡德说，“但若你不想回答，只需说‘过’。”

“It’s not that.” Anderson flipped to the next page in the journal and glanced up at Alucard. “It’s just I don't have an interesting answer. I was like any other Iscariot soldier before I became a regenerator.” Well, that wasn’t entirely true- “A little more passionate than the others, but I think you could have come to that conclusion without me pointing it out.”
“倒不是这个原因。”安德森翻过日记本下一页，抬眼看向阿卡德，“只是我的答案无趣得很。在成为再生者之前，我和其他伊斯科利特士兵没什么两样。”好吧，这并非完全属实——“或许比其他人更狂热些，但我想我不说你也猜得到。”

Passionate to the point of being made to attend mandatory psychiatric assessments by his former handler, in fact, but his Vatican-assigned psychiatrist had eventually concluded that Anderson’s brand of instability was beneficial to Iscariot. Everyone at Iscariot had something wrong with them, so he fit right in. He was just among the more severe cases, and that didn’t bother Anderson one bit. As long as it was beneficial to his service to the church, it didn’t need to be fixed.
事实上，他狂热到曾被前任监管人强制要求接受精神评估。不过梵蒂冈指派的精神科医生最终认定，安德森这种类型的精神不稳定对伊斯科利特有利。反正伊斯科利特里没几个正常人，他如鱼得水。只是他的情况属于较为严重的类型——安德森对此毫不在意。只要有利于侍奉教会，这种特质就无需矫正。

He closed the journal and moved onto a stack of loose papers. Much of the text was faded, but there was still some pertinent information in what text remained legible.
他合上日志，转向那叠散页文件。大部分字迹已经褪色，但残存可辨的文字中仍有些关键信息。

“I did use guns more often, back then,” he continued. “The kind with bayonets attached, of course. I always preferred blades, but they weren’t sensible when I was limited by how many I could carry on my person and while Iscariot was reluctant to replace the ones I lost.”
"那时候我确实更常用枪，"他继续道，"当然是带刺刀的那种。我一直更喜欢刀剑，但受限于随身携带的数量，加上伊斯科利特不愿补充我弄丢的武器，用刀就显得不太实际了。"

“What do they think of the ones you lose now?” asked Alucard with a toothy grin, clearly amused by the titbit Anderson had provided.
"那现在你弄丢武器时他们怎么想？"阿尔卡特咧着嘴笑问，显然被安德森透露的趣闻逗乐了。

“The clean-up crew aren’t a fan.” Or so he’d heard. He’d never had any direct communication with them, just been told through the grapevine. “Maxwell hasn’t offered comment. He doesn’t pay much mind to the aftermaths of my work.”
"清理小组可不怎么高兴。"至少传闻如此。他从未直接与那些人打过交道，消息都是道听途说。"马克斯威尔没发表意见。他不太关心我工作后的善后事宜。"

“I’m not surprised,” said Alucard. “And did a younger Alexander Anderson get up to any mischief? Have any fun?”
“我一点都不意外，”阿卡德说道。“那么年轻时的亚历山大·安德森有没有惹过什么麻烦？找过什么乐子？”

“Not the kind you’re thinking off,” said Anderson gruffly. “Any ‘fun’ I had was sanctioned by the church.”
“不是你想象的那种，”安德森粗声回答。“我所有的‘乐子’都得到了教会的许可。”

“Does that apply to all your youth?” asked Alucard, eyes wide with curiosity and delight.
“你整个青年时期都这样吗？”阿卡德睁大眼睛问道，眼中闪烁着好奇与愉悦的光芒。

“Well…” Anderson absentmindedly rubbed at his neck. “All children get into trouble on occasion, and I was no exception.”
“这个嘛...”安德森心不在焉地摸了摸脖子。“所有孩子偶尔都会闯祸，我也不例外。”

“What kind of trouble did a little Alexander get up to?”
“小亚历山大惹了什么麻烦？”

“The kind that involved fists, and the kind that involved thieving knives from the kitchen.” Though he had otherwise tried to be a well-behaved child. His temper had just gotten the better of him at times, particularly when confronted with heathens.
“有用拳头解决的麻烦，也有从厨房偷刀具的麻烦。”尽管他平时努力做个乖孩子。但有时候脾气上来就控制不住，尤其是遇到异教徒的时候。

Alucard let out a burst of laughter. “How appropriate!”
阿卡德爆发出一阵大笑。“太合适了！”

Their conversation continued well past the time it should have ended, into the late of night. Anderson was startled when he glanced at his wristwatch and found them a scant few minutes from midnight. The passing hours hadn’t been unproductive; he’d uncovered a new element to the process they would need to keep in mind while preparing the silver, but it was just… strange to have enjoyed conversing with his nemesis to the point of forgetting the passing of time.
他们的谈话远远超出了应有的结束时间，一直持续到深夜。安德森瞥见腕表时吃了一惊——距离午夜只剩几分钟了。这几个小时并非毫无收获；他发现了银器准备过程中需要牢记的新要素，但...与宿敌相谈甚欢到忘记时间流逝，这种感觉实在诡异。

Alucard returned to his corner and Anderson threw himself back into his research until exhaustion compelled him to bed, as had been his habit since arriving in London. It wasn’t ideal, but couldn’t find sleep at all while being observed by a vampire unless he was desperate for it. Staying up until exhaustion crept in meant he was asleep the moment he hit the blankets, and he usually managed to stay that way for at least five hours.
阿卡多回到了他的角落，安德森则继续埋头研究直到精疲力竭才上床休息——这已成为他抵达伦敦后的固定作息。虽不理想，但被吸血鬼注视时他根本无法入睡，除非困到极点。熬夜到筋疲力尽意味着他脑袋一沾枕头就能睡着，通常还能保持这种状态至少五个小时。

It wasn’t until noon the following day that Alucard started to droop again, listing forward as he stood in his corner. Anderson had been in the process of stuffing a freshly made hollow stake with Romanian dirt when he noticed. He hastened to finish up so he could check on the man. It took him a good few minutes to finish filling the stake, consecrate it, and slip it into the folds of his coat, and when he next looked up, Alucard was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. It was a small consolation that he hadn’t toppled over.
直到次日正午，阿卡多才又开始昏昏欲睡，站在角落里的身躯微微前倾。安德森当时正往新制的空心木桩里填装罗马尼亚泥土，见状连忙加快动作。他花了好几分钟才完成填装、祝圣并将木桩藏进大衣褶皱，再抬头时发现阿卡多已闭着眼睛靠在墙上。值得庆幸的是至少对方没有直接栽倒。

He approached Alucard’s corner. Alucard slowly raised his head at the sound of footsteps.
他走向阿卡多的角落。听到脚步声，吸血鬼缓缓抬起了头。

“You look terrible,” said Anderson.
“你看上去糟透了。”安德森说道。

Alucard snorted. “It’s nothing compared to how I feel.” He straightened and looked hungrily down to Anderson's wrist, which was just visible under the sleeves of his clergy wear. “I’m surprised you didn’t spend yesterday convincing yourself I could manage without being fed.”
阿尔卡特嗤笑一声。“比起我的感受，这根本不算什么。”他直起身子，饥渴地望向安德森从教士服袖口微微露出的手腕。“我倒是惊讶你昨天居然没花时间说服自己——不喂食我也能撑过去。”

“Even if I had, it would have become immediately apparent that wasn’t the case.” He pulled in a sharp breath through his teeth and tugged up his coat, jacket, and shirt sleeves, only able to get partially up his forearm due to how thick they were. Even as he told himself he wouldn’t enjoy it this time, that he would force it to be perfunctory, warmth was starting to creep up his neck and into his face. “Go on,” he ground out. “Make it quick.”
“就算我真这么想，事实也会立刻让我清醒。”他倒抽一口冷气，拽起厚重的大衣、外套和衬衫袖子，却因布料太厚只能卷到小臂中段。尽管他不断告诫自己这次绝不能沉溺，必须速战速决，滚烫的热度仍从脖颈蔓上脸颊。“快点，”他咬牙道，“速战速决。”

Alucard dragged him close by the forearm with such speed that Anderson almost got whiplash, but once Alucard had Anderson’s wrist within reach of his mouth, his lips grazing along the carpal bones, he didn’t immediately bite down. He first ran his tongue delicately over the skin, tracing the visible veins with the tip. Anderson had to look away to hide how rapidly his facial capillaries were filling.  
阿尔卡特猛地拽过他的前臂，速度快得几乎让安德森扭伤脖子。但当吸血鬼的嘴唇触到腕骨时，却没有立即咬下。他先是用舌尖优雅地掠过皮肤，沿着青色血管细细描摹。安德森不得不别过脸去，掩饰自己迅速涨红的面容。

“It’s alright to enjoy it, Judas Priest,” Alucard purred, and at the exact moment Anderson opened his mouth to protest, he sunk his teeth in.
“尽情享受吧，犹大祭司，”阿卡德低语道，就在安德森张嘴想要抗议的瞬间，他的尖牙刺入了肌肤。

What came out of Anderson instead of a protest was a ragged and terribly embarrassing moan, which might have prompted Anderson to stomp off if not for the fact he now no longer had the desire to do anything except lean into Alucard’s bite.
从安德森喉间溢出的并非抗议，而是一声沙哑得令人难堪的呻吟。若非此刻他除了向阿卡德的噬咬倾身之外再无他念，这声喘息或许会让他羞愤离去。

Alucard curled an arm around his shoulders and threaded his fingers into the fine hair at his nape. Slight though the contact was, it raced through Anderson’s nerves and drew a shiver and a clench of his teeth. He tried to maintain composure, tried to shake off the fog rapidly enveloping his mind, but Alucard drank from him in a steady stream and he found it impossible not to sink into it.
阿卡德的手臂环住他的肩膀，手指穿入他颈后细软的发丝。这轻微的触碰却如电流窜过安德森的神经，引得他战栗咬牙。他试图保持清醒，试图挣脱逐渐笼罩神智的迷雾，但阿卡德持续不断的吮吸让他无可抗拒地沉沦其中。

“I’ve never met someone so reactive,” purred Alucard against his blood-smeared skin. “It’s delightful.”
“从未见过如此敏感的灵魂，”阿卡德沾血的唇瓣摩挲着他的皮肤低喃，“令人愉悦。”

“Shut up,” Anderson rasped, squeezing his eyes shut so he couldn’t see that luminescent gaze studying his every reaction.
“闭嘴。”安德森嘶哑地说，紧紧闭上双眼，以免看见那道审视他每个反应的幽邃目光。

Alucard secured his lips back over Anderson’s wrist and rumbled deep in his chest as he drank. Anderson swallowed at how very appealing that sound was, a sound no human could ever hope to replicate, a reminder that he was dealing with something far more dangerous and preternatural than your standard vampire. 
阿尔卡特将双唇重新覆上安德森的手腕，胸腔深处发出低沉的嗡鸣。随着吸血的动作，那声音让安德森喉头发紧——如此诱人的声响绝非人类所能模仿，时刻提醒着他此刻面对的绝非普通吸血鬼，而是更为危险、更为超自然的存在。

“O my God,” he breathed, the words falling thoughtlessly from his lips. “I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I d-deh-“ Alucard’s fangs drove deeper, provoking a fresh wave of pleasure that had all the air evacuating Anderson’s lungs in a groan. He had to take several deep, needy breaths before he was able to resume his prayer. “And I d-detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they have offended Thee, my God.”
“主啊...”他喘息着，话语不受控制地溢出唇间，“我诚心忏悔冒犯之罪，我憎——呃啊——”阿尔卡特的獠牙刺得更深，新一轮快感浪潮令安德森肺里的空气全化作呻吟倾泻而出。他不得不急促喘息数次，才能继续未完的祷词：“我憎恶...所有罪孽，因惧怕失去天国...畏惧地狱之苦...但最痛悔的...是这些罪...冒犯了您...我的主。”

He felt Alucard’s lips twitch around his skin, a barely perceivable smile. The hand at his nape slid up the slope of his skull and twisted around a handful of hair, jerking Anderson’s head back, which sent a thunderclap of arousal zigzagging its way down his spine. It took all the self-control he had left not to give into the urge to arch himself into Alucard like a wanton whore. How low he’d been brought.
他察觉到阿尔卡特的嘴唇在皮肤上微微抽动，那是几乎难以察觉的笑意。后颈的手掌沿着颅骨曲线游走，突然攥住发丝向后猛拽——这个动作让战栗般的快感如闪电般窜下脊柱。安德森用尽全部自制力才遏制住将自己弓向阿尔卡特的放荡冲动。他竟堕落至此。

“W-who art all good and deserving of all my love.” He swallowed hard. “Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.” A few crucial lines were missing, but as far gone as he was, he wasn’t going to lie during prayer. “Have mercy.”
“万-万善之源，配得我全部爱的主啊。”他艰难地吞咽着。“我们的救主耶稣基督为我们受苦受难。以祂之名，我的上帝，求您垂怜。”他漏掉了几个关键句子，但即便意识如此涣散，他也不愿在祷告中说谎。“求您垂怜。”

The teeth slipped out at long last, and Anderson wobbled from more than just the lingering pleasure this time. He nearly fell straight into Alucard. His body was heavy, his limbs weighing him as though full of lead, and his heart jack-hammered in his chest. He recognised that these issues weren’t the result of arousal, even if arousal was a largely foreign experience for him.
獠牙终于抽离，这次安德森踉跄不止是因为残留的快感。他几乎直接栽进阿卡德怀里。身体沉重如灌铅，四肢仿佛挂着铅块，心脏在胸腔里像冲击钻般狂跳。他意识到这些症状并非情欲所致——尽管情欲对他而言本就是陌生体验。

“Priest,” said Alucard gently, pulling Anderson to his chest. Anderson grasped at the edge of the table and one of Alucard’s lapels, leaving both slick with his sweat. There were pins and needles in his extremities, making them feel large and unwieldy. He wiggled them and it didn’t help.
“神父，”阿卡德轻声唤道，将安德森揽入怀中。安德森抓住桌沿和对方的一侧衣领，在两者上都留下汗湿的手印。四肢末梢的刺痛感让肢体显得臃肿笨拙，他扭动手指却无济于事。

“You aren’t regenerating as fast as before,” murmured Alucard. “I can hear it. I could taste it.” Alucard leaned in, lips tickling the shell of his ear. Anderson shivered. “You haven’t eaten, have you?”
“你的再生速度不如从前了，”阿卡德低语道，“我能听见。也能尝出来。”他倾身向前，唇瓣轻蹭着安德森的耳廓。安德森打了个寒颤。“你最近没进食吧？”

Eaten, drank, slept- he’d had little of any of them since arriving at the Hellsing estate, and his regeneration was expansive enough that he hadn’t felt any repercussions until this point. If not for the blood loss, he probably wouldn’t have been troubled by the exhaustion for a few days more.  
进食、饮水、睡眠——自打来到海尔辛庄园，这三样他几乎都没怎么沾过。原本凭借强大的再生能力，至今都没出现什么不良反应。若不是失血过多，这份疲惫感或许还能再拖延几日才会困扰他。

The throbbing arousal was dying down to be replaced with lethargy, and Anderson wasn’t going to complain about that part. This was a convenient way to not have to think about what had just happened, much less do anything about it.
汹涌的情欲正逐渐被倦意取代，安德森对此倒是毫无怨言。这倒是个好借口，既能不去想方才发生的事，更不必为此采取任何行动。

“Feeding me and forgetting yourself,” said Alucard with a cluck of his tongue. “How very priestly of you.”
“只顾喂饱我却忘了自己，”阿卡德咂了咂舌，“还真是神父做派。”

The only priestly thing that had occurred in this entire encounter.
整个相遇过程中唯一具有神父气质的行为。

He drew up a little straighter and turned to the exit. Getting to the kitchen would be an uncomfortable journey, but short of being immolated, there was nothing that could keep Anderson down.
他稍稍挺直身子，转向出口。去厨房的路程会不太舒服，但除非被烧成灰烬，没什么能阻止安德森。

“I’ll be able to grab something to eat and drink when you let me go,” he pointed out, tapping his knuckles on Alucard’s arm.
"等你放我走的时候，我就能弄点吃喝的了，"他用指节敲了敲阿卡多的手臂指出。

“You,” began Alucard, pressing Anderson back and down until he’d dropped into a chair. “Will be staying right here. My master has permitted me to leave when necessary. She has not permitted you to leave.” His long fingers curled around Anderson’s chin, guiding him into looking up. “And you fed me, so you will allow me to return that generosity.”
"你，"阿卡多开口，将安德森向后按直到他跌坐在椅子上，"就待在这儿。我的主人允许我必要时离开。但她没允许你离开。"修长的手指扣住安德森的下巴，迫使他抬头，"既然你喂饱了我，就该允许我回报这份慷慨。"

Anderson snorted. “I will? You’re being very demanding for one trying to be generous, Alucard.”
安德森嗤之以鼻。"我会？你这慷慨姿态可真是咄咄逼人啊，阿卡德。"

“Old habits of a former warlord and count.”
"前军阀兼伯爵的老习惯了。"

It was the first time Alucard had referenced his history, and Anderson was left gaping a little as Alucard swiftly made his exit. A former warlord and count- well, if he’d needed confirmation, there it was. One day he might have some questions for Alucard, might satiate his interest in history with one who had lived it, but that wouldn’t be anytime soon.
这是阿卡德首次提及自己的过往，当他迅速离开时，安德森不禁微微张大了嘴。前军阀兼伯爵——好吧，若他需要确证，这便是了。或许某天他会向阿卡德提出些问题，用亲历者的见闻满足自己对历史的兴趣，但绝非近期。

He slumped in his chair as the door shut behind Alucard and let his legs fan out, closing his tired eyes. The distant buzz of fatigue that had been plaguing him the past few days had turned all-consuming through the blood loss. It was tempting to grab a nap where he was, just a few hours to refuel his critically low system. He’d made enough progress to justify a nap; he’d be done in less than a week. He only needed finish putting together the ritual and perform some tests, then the tool would be ready for use. But Alucard would soon arrive with food, and his growling stomach persuaded him to remain awake.
随着阿卡德关门离去，安德森瘫进椅子里，双腿岔开，疲惫地合上双眼。连日来萦绕不去的隐约倦意，因失血而彻底吞噬了他。就地小憩的念头极具诱惑，只需几小时就能为濒临枯竭的身体充能。目前的进展已足够为午睡正名——不出七日便能完工。他只需完成仪式筹备与几项测试，这件工具便可投入使用。但阿卡德很快就会带着食物回来，腹中的饥鸣说服他继续保持清醒。

Alucard’s return was announced by rubber striking wood as he kicked the door open. In his hands was clutched a small silver tray, on which was a plate of sandwiches and bottle of wine with an accompanying wine glass. This was no time of day to be drinking wine, but Alucard had the glass on the table and topped it up before he could protest. It smelt a mighty fine wine, beautifully aged. One glass wouldn’t hurt. It was only excess that the Vatican prohibited.
阿尔卡德踢开门的声响宣告了他的归来，橡胶鞋底与木门相撞发出闷响。他手中紧攥着一个小银托盘，上面摆着一盘三明治和一瓶葡萄酒，旁边还配了只高脚杯。这可不是该喝酒的时辰，但阿尔卡德已将酒杯搁在桌上斟满，让人来不及推拒。酒香醇厚得惊人，显然是经年陈酿。浅酌一杯无妨——梵蒂冈明令禁止的不过是纵酒无度罢了。

“Did you make those?” asked Anderson as he picked at a sandwich, examining the chicken and salad wedged between the bread.
"这些是你做的？"安德森一边拨弄着三明治，一边检查夹在面包间的鸡肉和沙拉。

“I did.” Alucard sat himself in the chair closest to him.
"是我做的。"阿卡德坐到了离他最近的椅子上。

Anderson looked bemused. “Really?”
安德森露出困惑的表情。"真的？"

“You think making a sandwich beyond me?”
"你觉得做个三明治能难倒我？"

“Below you, more like.”  "在你下面，更像是这样。"

“Being a good host is not below me,” said Alucard, and Anderson was reminded immediately of the fact Bram Stoker’s Dracula had described him – at least initially – as a generous and considerate host.
"做个好主人并不有失我的身份，"阿卡德说道，安德森立刻想起布拉姆·斯托克的《德古拉》中描述他——至少最初——是个慷慨体贴的主人。

He took a bite out of the corner of one of the sandwiches and chewed. Maybe it was just the ravenous hunger talking, but it was good.
他从三明治的角落咬了一口咀嚼着。也许只是极度的饥饿在作祟，但这确实很好吃。

“Th…” Expressing gratitude to Alucard felt so strange that he had to pause before continuing. “Thank you.”
"谢..."向阿卡德表达感激感觉如此怪异，他不得不停顿片刻才继续说完。"谢谢你。"

“Don’t strain yourself, priest,” said Alucard with a laugh.
“别太勉强自己了，神父。”阿卡德大笑着说。

Anderson pinched his face before it could develop a sheepish expression. “It’s not that,” he said, drawing the plate of sandwiches closer. “It’s just… isn’t this odd for you? Working with your enemy?” It couldn’t just be him, surely. “It is for me.”
安德森赶在自己露出窘迫表情前掐了掐脸。“不是那样的，”他把三明治盘子拉近了些，“只是…这对你来说不奇怪吗？和你的敌人共事？”不可能只有他一个人这么觉得吧。“反正我觉得很怪。”

“I was indentured to my enemy for several years and I remain the servant of his family, so no, working with my enemy is not odd for me.” Alucard leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “I find your presence agreeable, in any case.”
“我曾被迫为敌人效忠多年，至今仍是他们家族的仆人，所以不，和敌人共事对我来说并不奇怪。”阿卡德向后靠在椅背上，翘起二郎腿。“况且，我觉得有你在场挺令人愉快的。”

“Agreeable? Because you claim to respect me?”
“愉快？就因为你声称尊重我？”

“I don’t claim it, Anderson: I do,” said Alucard, and with so much conviction Anderson couldn't doubt its sincerity. “And your conversational skills are one of the attributes of yours I appreciate. Though, not the one I appreciate the most.” There was delight audible in his voice as he said: “That would go to your ability on the battlefield.”
"我可没说过这话，安德森：是我说的，"阿卡德说道，语气坚定得让安德森无法质疑其真诚。"而你善于交谈的特质，正是我欣赏你的品质之一。不过——"他的声音里带着明显的愉悦，"这还不是我最欣赏的那一点。战场上的你才最令人激赏。"

A corner of Anderson’s lips curled. “There’s something to appreciate in yours as well. Enough to determine that no one else but I-“ A pause. “But Iscariot,” he amended, Geremia’s words ringing in his ears. “Deserves to be the cause of your end.”
安德森的嘴角微微上扬。"你身上也有值得欣赏之处。足以让我断定——"他顿了顿，犹大之环的训诫在耳畔回响，改口道："足以让犹大之环成为你命定的终结者。"

Alucard tilted forward in his chair, smiling wide. “But you, Anderson. No one but you.”
阿卡德从座椅上倾身向前，笑容扩大。"但你不一样，安德森。只有你配得上这个殊荣。"

He hated how much he liked hearing that. “I’m part of Iscariot.”
他痛恨自己竟如此享受这句话。"我是犹大之环的一员。"

“But we both know that’s not what you meant,” said Alucard.
"但我们都知道你不是这个意思，"阿卡德说道。

Anderson could tell arguing wasn’t going to get him anywhere, so he stuffed his mouth full of sandwich as a means to end the conversation. Not the most dignified thing to do, but Alucard seemed to get the message and began picking through the files Anderson had spread across the table. His energy levels began to recover as he consumed sandwich after sandwich, filling himself to capacity. They were no substitute for a good nights sleep, but they did provide him enough energy to get through the rest of the day without succumbing to the urge to ruin his sleeping schedule with a mid-day nap.
安德森明白争辩无济于事，于是往嘴里塞满三明治来结束对话。这算不上体面，但阿卡德似乎领会了他的意思，开始翻检安德森摊在桌上的文件。随着一个接一个三明治下肚，他的精力逐渐恢复，直到吃得心满意足。这些虽不能替代一夜好眠，但足以支撑他熬过今天，不必靠午睡打乱作息。

He fell heavy into bed a little before nine and slept like a rock until the trill of his phone jolted him awake. His eyes jumped to the clock on the bedside table as he lumbered out of bed to retrieve his phone from his coat. Three thirty am. This wasn’t a check-up call.
不到九点他就重重倒在床上，睡得死沉，直到手机铃声将他惊醒。他踉跄下床去外套里摸手机时，目光扫过床头柜的闹钟——凌晨三点半。这不是例行查岗的电话。

He sought the dark corner of the room for the glow of Alucard’s eyes as he raised the phone to his ear. The man was standing by the door, the tilt of his head just barely visible in the moonlight.
他将手机贴到耳边时，目光搜寻着房间暗处阿卡德发亮的眼睛。月光下，只能勉强看见那个男人斜倚门框的轮廓。

The dial tone ceased. “Maxwell?”
电话忙音停止了。"麦克斯韦？"

“Anderson!”  "安德森！"

That was not a promising greeting. Twirling his finger to indicate Alucard should turn to the wall, Anderson started throwing his clothes onto the bed in preparation to change. He was used to being called out during the early hours of the morning, so he was practised at getting dressed while being briefed.
这可不是什么好兆头的问候。安德森用手指转了个圈示意阿尔卡特面壁，同时开始把衣物扔到床上准备更换。他早已习惯凌晨时分被紧急召唤，因此练就了一边听简报一边穿衣服的本事。

“You’re needed in Rome,” said Maxwell, speaking so hastily he was barely intelligible. “I’ve already sent a jet to pick you up! It should be there shortly to take you to St. Paul’s stronghold- several Vatican holds have been attacked!”
"罗马需要你，"麦克斯韦语速快得几乎听不清，"我已经派专机去接你了！飞机马上就到圣保罗要塞——好几个教廷据点都遭到了袭击！"

“I need you to slow down,” said Anderson, and fortunately, he heard Maxwell suck in a few centring breaths a moment later. “You say there was an attack?” he asked, because he’d been able to understand that much.
“你得冷静点，”安德森说道，所幸片刻后他听见马克斯维尔做了几次平复呼吸的深呼吸。“你说有袭击发生？”他追问，因为这是他唯一能听清的内容。

Alucard made a curious sound from across the room.
房间另一端的阿卡德发出了一声饶有兴趣的轻哼。

“Several,” Maxwell corrected him. “Several Vatican holds have been attacked.”
“不止一起，”马克斯维尔纠正道。“梵蒂冈多处据点都遭到了袭击。”

Anderson’s nerves prickled with trepidation. “Matthias? Was Matthias among them?”
安德森的神经因不祥预感而刺痛。“马蒂亚斯呢？马蒂亚斯也在遇袭名单里吗？”

“It was. He’s looking for the nail.”
“确实如此。他在寻找那枚圣钉。”

Anderson’s blood pressure soared at the mere thought of Geremia having all the holy relics. “And did he get it?” he asked, the question coming louder than intended.
一想到杰雷米亚可能集齐了所有圣遗物，安德森的血压就直线飙升。“他得手了吗？”他问道，声音比预想的更为洪亮。

“No,” said Maxwell quickly. “It’s not in any of the facilities. We already suspected he might try this, but we didn’t anticipate his forces being this significant. I knew the Vatican enemies were many, but this is- he’s made a cult for his new vision of the world.”
“没有，”马克斯韦尔迅速回答。“所有设施里都没找到。我们早料到他可能尝试这个，但没预料到他的势力如此庞大。我知道梵蒂冈树敌众多，但这——他为自己所谓的新世界愿景建立了邪教组织。”

“Nothing new there,” Anderson muttered while tugging his trousers into place. “People have been making cults for ‘new visions of the world’ since cults became a concept.”
“老把戏了，”安德森边整理裤装边嘟囔。“自从邪教这个概念存在以来，就总有人为‘新世界愿景’搞这套。”

“You’re right,” said Maxwell, the frown audible in his voice. “But he’s a little more significant than what we usually deal with. None of the others managed to poke this many holes in our armour.”
"你说得对，"马克斯维尔说道，声音里明显带着不悦。"但他比我们通常对付的角色要棘手得多。其他人可没本事在我们的防御上捅出这么多窟窿。"

“But we will deal with him,” he promised. “I’ll see that mans life leave his eyes by the end of this.” A rather macabre thing to say, but Maxwell was used to such proclamations and responded with a non-committal sound.
"但我们终会解决他，"他承诺道。"我会亲眼看着生命之光从他眼中熄灭。"这话说得相当阴森，不过马克斯维尔早已习惯这类宣言，只是含糊地应了一声。

“The butler was useful in keeping Vatican City safe,” said Maxwell, with clear reluctance. “We’ll have to think about investing in wires as a weapon. Much more effective than guns or blades- but we’ll discuss that another day. I just want you to know the Vatican is safe, and so is the nail.”
"那个管家在保卫梵蒂冈城方面确实有用，"马克斯维尔不情不愿地承认。"我们得考虑把金属丝作为武器投资。比枪械或刀刃有效得多——不过改天再详谈。我只想让你知道梵蒂冈很安全，那枚钉子也很安全。"

“Where is it?” he asked.
"它在哪？"他问道。

“It was being held by the faithful of Torcello Cathedral. It’ll be brought to me tonight and then given to you.”
“它正由托切罗大教堂的信徒保管。今晚会送到我这里，然后再转交给你。”

Anderson’s grip on the dress shirt he was wrestling over his head faltered. “I see.” He was quick to recover his earlier composure, pulling his shirt the rest of the way on. “Are there any other instructions to accompany that, Maxwell?”
安德森正与套头的礼服衬衫搏斗，闻言手指一滞。“明白了。”他迅速恢复先前的镇定，将衬衫彻底拉平整。“还有什么附加指示吗，马克斯韦尔？”

“You’re always perceptive about these things.” A sigh from the other end of the line. “If things get out of hand, you may need to use it on yourself. Become the channel through which God deals divine justice. It’s the relic with the greatest capacity for destruction and you’ve always been our trump card, Anderson.”
“你总是对这些事格外敏锐。”电话那头传来叹息。“如果局势失控，你可能需要对自己使用它。成为神明施行正义的通道。那件圣遗物具有最强的毁灭能力，而你始终是我们的王牌，安德森。”

A growl interrupted him before Anderson could respond. His eyes snapped to the corner of the room, having forgotten Alucard was there, and even in the stifling dark he could see the uncharacteristic glower on Alucard’s face. He was so taken aback by the sight that it took Maxwell impatiently clearing his throat for him to resume the call.
未及回应，一声低吼打断通话。安德森猛然看向房间角落——他竟忘了阿卡多也在场——即便在令人窒息的黑暗中，他仍能看清吸血鬼脸上反常的怒容。这景象让他怔住，直到马克斯韦尔不耐烦地清了清嗓子，他才重新接起电话。

“Understood,” he said. He would do what was necessary to protect the Vatican, no matter the sacrifice. He knew use of the nail came with a steep one.
“明白了。”他说道。为了保护梵蒂冈，无论需要付出多大代价，他都在所不惜。他清楚使用圣钉将带来沉重的牺牲。

There was a long pause before Maxwell spoke again, and in a soft, hesitating tone Anderson rarely heard from him. “Anderson…”
马克斯韦尔沉默了许久才再次开口，那种柔和而犹豫的语气是安德森极少从他口中听到的。“安德森……”

“What, Maxwell?”  “怎么了，马克斯韦尔？”

“Don't be hasty in using the nail,” said Maxwell slowly. “Keep that in mind.”
“别急着使用圣钉，”马克斯韦尔缓缓说道，“记住这一点。”

This wasn’t a request from boss to subordinate: it was from pupil to teacher, and it brought a brief, flittering smile to Anderson’s face to realise that. It wasn’t often Maxwell let them fall back into their former dynamic. “Of course, Enrico.”
这不是上司对下属的命令：而是学生对老师的请求，意识到这一点时，安德森脸上掠过一丝转瞬即逝的笑意。马克斯韦尔很少允许他们回归从前的相处模式。"当然，恩里科。"

“Okay,” breathed Maxwell. “The jet should land any moment now. You’ll be returning to Hellsing once we have this dealt with,” continued Maxwell. “So feel free to leave your belongings where they are.”
"好了，"马克斯韦尔轻声道。"飞机随时会降落。等处理完这件事你就回 hellsing，"他继续道，"所以行李放着不用收拾。"

“What jet did you send?” he asked, now perched on the edge of his bed to tug on his socks and shoes and eyeing the furious Alucard. “I need to know if I should take anti-nausea meds.”
"你派了什么飞机？"他坐在床沿边穿袜子鞋子边问，同时瞥了眼暴怒的阿卡多，"我得知道要不要吃晕机药。"

Maxwell gave a titter. “Oh, you’ll definitely need those.”
马克斯韦尔咯咯笑起来："噢，你绝对需要那些药片。"

“Fantastic,” muttered Anderson dourly.
“妙极了，”安德森阴沉地嘟囔道。

The moment he’d tossed the phone back into his cassock, Alucard was upon him, grasping him by his lapels and shoving him up against the wall. A clear violation of the peace terms between Hellsing and Iscariot. 
他刚把手机扔回教士袍里，阿尔卡特就扑了上来，抓住他的衣领将他狠狠抵在墙上。这显然违反了赫尔辛格与伊斯加略之间的和平协议。

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked, snapping his hand hard around Alucard’s wrists and giving them a good, and hopefully painful wrench. Alucard grunted and his grip jostled, but he didn’t release Anderson.
“你他妈到底想干什么？”他厉声质问，双手狠狠钳住阿尔卡特的手腕，用力一扭——希望能让对方吃点苦头。阿尔卡特闷哼一声，抓握的力道松动了些，却仍没有放开安德森。

“The nail,” said Alucard with a startling, vibrant anger. His teeth had turned jagged, gnashing like those of a shark. “Helena’s nail, is that right? You intend to turn yourself into a ‘channel for God’s will’?”
“那枚钉子，”阿尔卡特的声音里迸发出惊人的暴怒。他的牙齿变得参差不齐，像鲨鱼般咯吱作响。“海伦娜的圣钉，对吧？你打算把自己变成‘神意的容器’？”

It wasn’t surprising Alucard had heard the call. Anderson still looked offended by the invasion of privacy, however. “If it becomes necessary,” he threw back.
阿尔卡特听到召唤并不令人意外。但安德森仍因隐私被侵犯而面露愠色。"如有必要，"他反唇相讥。

“That man isn’t worth the sacrifice,” Alucard said fiercely. “To forfeit your humanity for him would be an unforgivable waste, a tragedy.”
"那人不值得你牺牲，"阿尔卡特厉声道。"为他放弃人性将是不可饶恕的浪费，一场悲剧。"

“So I’m to just let my people die when I have a means to protect them?”
"所以我就该眼睁睁看着同胞死去？明明我有能力保护他们！"

“Yes!” Alucard bellowed, right in his face, his eyes now wide and pupils a thin line. “To become an aberration of your god’s will, to become a monster-  the souls of the dead will find peace, but you’ll become nothing, and there’s no guarantee that would secure you victory over a man wielding so much more power than you.”
"没错！"阿尔卡特贴面怒吼，双目圆睁瞳孔缩成细线。"违背你神的旨意成为怪物——亡魂自会安息，而你将化为虚无，更何况那人的力量远胜于你，堕落也未必能换来胜利。"

He’d come to learn much about Alucard since brokering peace, but the sheer self-loathing Alucard felt – the fact he saw himself as nothing – was new, and it disquieted Anderson for a long time. He was coming to know Alucard. And he realised now, quite suddenly, that Alucard was letting him know him, offering pieces of himself and all the vulnerability that accompanied them.
自促成和平以来，他对阿卡多已了解颇多，但此刻显露的自我厌恶——那种将自己视为虚无的认知——却是新发现，这让安德森长久不安。他正在逐渐认识阿卡多。而此刻他突然惊觉，是阿卡多允许自己被了解，主动展示着灵魂碎片与随之而来的脆弱。

“Don’t become a monster like me,” said Alucard, beseeching. “A weak, pitiful creature who couldn’t die with human grace. Don’t let that man destroy you.”
"别变成我这样的怪物，"阿卡多近乎哀求地说，"一个连人类式体面死亡都做不到的软弱可怜虫。别让那个人毁了你。"

Anderson swallowed. He felt as though the beast had ripped him open and squirmed his way inside, because he cared about Alucard's feelings, he cared, and he hated that he couldn’t convince himself not to. It would have been so much easier if it wasn’t evident Alucard cared as well.
安德森喉结滚动。他感觉仿佛被猛兽撕开胸膛钻入体内——他竟在意阿卡多的感受，如此在意，更痛恨自己无法说服自己停止在意。若阿卡多表现得毫不在乎，事情反倒简单得多。

“There are other ways to use the nail,” he said quietly. It could perhaps be used on Geremia, since it wouldn't turn everyone into a weapon. Intent mattered.
"还有别的方法使用圣钉，"他轻声说。或许可以用在杰雷米亚身上，毕竟它不会把所有人都变成武器。关键在于使用者的意图。

“Will you use them?” asked Alucard.
“你会用它们吗？”阿卡德问道。

“I-“ Anderson licked his lips. “If that man is dealt with, I’ll have no need to use the nail at all. That would be my preference.”
“我——”安德森舔了舔嘴唇，“如果那个人被解决了，我根本不需要使用圣钉。那才是我的首选。”

Alucard slowly unwound his fingers from Anderson’s coat. “I’ll hold it to you not to throw in the towel before we’re at the very precipice.”
阿卡德慢慢松开攥着安德森外套的手指。“我要你保证，不到悬崖边缘绝不轻言放弃。”

“I’m not beholden to you,” Anderson said, before adding: “But I’ll wait until I'm beyond the shore of hell before I commit to such a path. You can be assured of that.”
“我不受你约束，”安德森说道，又补充了一句：“但我会等到真正坠入地狱深渊时，再踏上那条路。这点你大可放心。”

The first thing Anderson did upon reaching land was vomit into the nearest bush he could find. The second thing he did was go barrelling into the Vatican stronghold with the taste of vomit still swirling about his mouth and six bayonets held at the ready. Many of Geremia’s men had retreated, but there were a few forced to linger through the efforts of Vatican forces, bullets spraying between both parties through a decimated courtyard with a still-streaming fountain. Anderson stepped right into the fray. Took several bullets to the chest, thighs, and stomach, and kept going even as bone splintered and organs ruptured, storming toward his targets with eyes wide and lips pulled back to bare teeth and gums. Apparently this display was enough to bring an end to the fighting, because he hadn’t gotten more than a few feet before the men dropped of their own accord.
安德森上岸后做的第一件事，就是对着最近的灌木丛呕吐。第二件事则是带着满嘴酸腐味，手持六把刺刀冲进梵蒂冈要塞。杰里迈亚的大部分部下已经撤退，但仍有少数人被梵蒂冈部队牵制，双方在喷泉未歇的废墟庭院里交火。安德森径直闯入战局。胸口、大腿和腹部连中数枪，却仍在骨骼碎裂内脏破损的情况下，瞪圆双眼龇牙咧嘴地冲向目标。这番景象显然足以终结战斗——他还没走出几步，敌人们就自行倒下了。

Dropped dead, that was. The drooling and twitching of their bodies as they expired made it immediately apparent what had happened. Cyanide capsules, in this day and age. A terrible way to go, but he couldn’t think of anyone more deserving than those who’d dared break into and desecrate a holy place.
确切地说是暴毙而亡。他们临终时口吐白沫抽搐的模样，立刻让人明白发生了什么。这个年代还用氰化物胶囊。虽然死法惨烈，但他想不出比亵渎圣地的入侵者更配得上这种结局的人。

He examined the bodies for any immediate evidence, picking through their clothes and finding nothing of interest. Just some ammunition and small containers of suicide capsules. No phones. No notes. Geremia had been careful to ensure the Vatican had nothing to work with. Breathing a sigh through his teeth, Anderson rose back to his feet.
他搜查尸体寻找直接证据，翻遍衣物却一无所获。只有些弹药和小瓶装的自杀胶囊。没有手机。没有字条。杰里迈亚谨慎地切断了所有线索。安德森磨着牙长叹一声，直起身来。

He gave the bodies one last dispassionate glance before turning to address the remaining Vatican soldiers, who were tentatively peeking out from behind pillars. A few of them weren’t even soldiers. One young man was openly crying, and Anderson made a beeline for him, folding his hands over the mans shoulders and offering him a pack of tissues from his pocket.
最后冷漠地瞥了眼尸体，他转向躲在石柱后窥探的残余梵蒂冈士兵。其中几人甚至不是军人。有个年轻人正在啜泣，安德森径直走过去，双手按住对方肩膀，从口袋里掏出包纸巾递给他。

“Don’t cry. You’ve contributed to repelling the enemy,” said Anderson. “Be proud of that.”
“别哭。你为击退敌人做出了贡献，”安德森说。“为此感到骄傲吧。”

The man had to take a few gulping breaths before he could reply. “O-of course, Father Anderson.” He palmed at his pink cheeks, trying futilely to dry them. “I’m sorry, I just- I’m in the communications department, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
男子不得不深吸几口气才能回答。“当、当然，安德森神父。”他用掌心抹着泛红的脸颊，徒劳地想擦干泪水。“对不起，我只是——我在通讯部门工作，从没见过这种场面。”

“I’m sorry you had to be pulled into this,” said Anderson, giving his shoulders a squeeze. He looked a young man, somewhere in his early twenties, and still a deacon. Poor boy would have to live with the memories of his brethren dying in front of him for the rest of his life. 
“很抱歉把你卷进这场战斗，”安德森说着捏了捏他的肩膀。这是个二十出头的年轻执事。可怜的孩子余生都将活在目睹同袍战死的记忆里。

“It's alright,” said the man quietly, his voice wet. "I contributed to repelling the enemy, like you said, and I'm- I'm proud to have saved lives."
“没关系，”男子轻声说，声音里带着哽咽。“就像您说的，我为击退敌人尽了力，而且——而且我很自豪能挽救生命。”

"As you should be."  "你本该如此。"

Anderson released him to cast his eyes first over those still standing, then over the wrecked courtyard, searching for any survivors in need of medical care. He always kept a first-aid kit on hand, and he might at the very least be able to plug a bullet hole or apply a splint. “Is there anyone who needs immediate medical care? Tell me if there is.” He raised a finger and pointed at an ageing man who looked a little steadier on his feet than everyone else present. The man startled at being singled out. “And I’d like you to call Enrico Maxwell and tell him the fate of your opponents.”
安德森松开他，目光先扫过那些仍站立着的人，继而环视满目疮痍的庭院，搜寻需要急救的幸存者。他随身总带着急救包，至少能暂时堵住枪眼或固定骨折。"有谁需要紧急救治？告诉我。"他抬起手指向一位步履比其他在场者更稳健的老者。被点名的老人明显一惊。"另外，请你致电恩里克·马克斯威尔，告诉他你们对手的下场。"

“Oh!” said the man, eyes widening. Evidently he knew who Anderson was as well, despite Anderson never having seen his face. “I’ll do that right away! Thank you for the assistance, Father.”
"噢！"男人瞪大眼睛惊呼。显然他也认得安德森，尽管安德森从未见过他的面孔。"我这就去办！感谢您的援手，神父。"

He nodded his appreciation before turning to a woman who had tentatively raised a bloody arm to him. She’d been shot, and yet she barely gave any indication of such. Must have been part of security. The Vatican always employed people with stiff spines for that role.
他点头致意后转向一位怯生生举起血淋淋手臂的女性。她中了枪，却几乎不露痛色。想必是安保人员。梵蒂冈向来雇佣铁骨铮铮之辈担任此职。

He gave her a good handful of pain meds and sat her down to extract the bullet. It was a slow, unpleasant process, but he had practice thanks to how many times he’d had to do it to himself (his body hadn’t always been able to easily expel the bullets), so it was as bearable for her as it could have possibly been. By the time he had finished, the man he’d sent off to contact Maxwell was waiting patiently for acknowledgement.
他塞给她一大把止痛药，按着她坐下取子弹。这是个缓慢而痛苦的过程，但他早已驾轻就熟——毕竟他不得不经常给自己取弹头（他的身体并非总能轻易排出子弹）——所以对她来说这已经是能忍受的极限了。当他终于完成时，先前派去联系马克斯维尔的手下正恭候着他的指示。

“News?” said Anderson, glancing up at the man.
“有消息？”安德森抬眼看向那人。

They took a jittery step forward. “A Matthias agent that was guarding Torcello Cathedral will be here in fifteen minutes. He said to call once you’ve received the item.”
他们战战兢兢地向前迈了一步。"负责托切罗大教堂安保的马蒂亚斯特工十五分钟后到。他说收到物品后让你回电。"

“Anything else?”  "还有别的吗？"

“Uh…” He looked nervously to the corpses of his fallen opponents. “The clean up crew won’t be here for a while, so he said we’d have to move the bodies somewhere discreet ourselves. He said you’d be happy to help with that.”
"呃..."他紧张地瞥了眼地上对手的尸体。"清理小组一时半会来不了，所以他说我们得自己把尸体搬到隐蔽处。还说...你会很乐意帮忙。"

‘Happy’ wasn’t the right word; he didn’t exactly enjoy touching the dead, but he would help regardless. He rose and tossed a few pairs of gloves to the man. Almost all his supply, but he wouldn’t force them to touch bodies without them.
"乐意"这个词并不准确——他其实并不喜欢触碰尸体，但依然会帮忙。他站起身，扔给那人几副手套。这几乎是他全部的存货了，但他绝不会让他们徒手搬运尸体。

“Get the able among you to assist with clearing this place out. We’ll move them into the parking garage.”
“让你们当中能干的人帮忙清理这个地方。我们会把他们转移到地下车库。”

“Of course,” said the man, hurrying to do as he’d been instructed.
“明白，”那人说着，赶忙按指示去办。

By carrying three bodies at a time (one in each hand, another draped over his shoulders), Anderson was able to clear the bulk of the courtyard and offices before he heard a jet set down on the nearby landing strip. There were only a few corpses remaining, so he left them in favour of meeting the Matthias Agent on the field. He didn’t want the Nail to be out in the open longer than necessary. One couldn’t be too cautious when dealing with a man familiar with how the Vatican operated. Not so much that he’d been able to predict where the Nail would be taken, but there was no guarantee he didn’t have contingency plans for that.
安德森每次搬运三具尸体（两手各提一具，肩上再扛一具），在听到附近跑道传来喷气式飞机降落声时，他已清空了庭院和办公室的大部分区域。只剩零星几具尸体，他便搁置不理，转而去停机坪迎接马提亚斯派来的特工。他不愿让圣钉暴露在外过久。面对熟悉梵蒂冈运作方式的人，再怎么谨慎都不为过——虽说对方未能预判圣钉的转移地点，但难保没有制定应急预案。

He recognised the Matthias agent – Arnold, an elder agent who was often used during cross missions with Iscariot and Matthias. He extended his hand once Arnold was within reach, which Arnold took and gave a good squeeze.
他认出那位马提亚斯特工——阿诺德，这位资深特工常参与伊斯加略与马提亚斯的联合行动。待阿诺德走近，安德森伸出手，对方紧紧回握。

“I’d say it’s good to see you, but, well…” Arnold sighed and released his hand. “I can smell the gun powder from here.”
“说见到你很高兴似乎不太合适，毕竟……”阿诺德叹了口气松开手，“我在这儿都能闻到火药味。”

“We’ll manage, Arnold,” he assured him. “We always do.”
“我们能应付的，阿诺德，”他向他保证，“我们一向如此。”

“Not without losses,” said Arnold morosely. He reached into the folds of his coat and drew out a small wooden box, presenting it to Anderson with flourish. “’Spose our enemy is trying to stop us from having a fighting chance. Luckily, we still have you, and we still have this despite that little weasels best efforts.”
“但总要付出代价，”阿诺德阴郁地说。他将手伸进大衣褶皱里，掏出一个雕花小木盒，夸张地递给安德森。“看来敌人是想断我们的生路。幸好还有你在，也幸好那小杂种费尽心机也没能毁掉这个。”

Anderson accepted the box and turned it over in his hands, and he could feel the holy power encased within, a thrumming presence that trembled up his fingers and raced through his nerves. He took a short breath through his nose. He’d never before been permitted to hold a holy relic. It was a profound experience, but a short one, as he was hasty in slipping the relic into the depths of his coat. Best not to risk someone seeing him with it.
安德森接过木盒在掌心翻转，能感受到其中封存的圣力——那股震颤顺着指尖窜上神经的脉动。他短促地用鼻子吸了口气。这是他首次被允许触碰圣物。这体验虽深刻却短暂，他匆忙将圣物塞进大衣深处。最好别让人看见它在他手里。

“This isn’t all we’ll have, soon,” he said, his tone distracted. “But it ought to be helpful if things don’t go according to plan.”
“这些还不是全部，很快就会有更多，”他心不在焉地说道，“不过要是计划有变，这些应该能派上用场。”

“Say no more,” said Arnold, holding up a hand. “I mean that. Whatever you’re doing, Enrico is keeping hush on it, and I know he wouldn’t do that without good reason.”
“不必多言，”阿诺德抬手制止，“我是认真的。无论你在谋划什么，恩里克都守口如瓶，我知道他这么做必有深意。”

Anderson’s eyes snapped back to Arnold. “I expect he's worried about the walls having ears, after everything that has happened.” He straightened and folded his hands behind his back. “You take care of yourself. We'll probably be facing another attack soon.”
安德森的目光骤然锐利地射向阿诺德：“经历了这么多事，他大概是担心隔墙有耳。”他挺直腰背，双手交叠在身后，“你自己多保重。恐怕很快又要迎来一场恶战。”

“I’d rather not take care,” said Arnold gruffly. “But Enrico said the same thing. I must be getting old.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “I’ll grab a gun and join the rest of you on the field when the battle arrives, but I’ll try to take care in the meantime.”
“我宁可不必保重，”阿诺德粗声粗气地说，“但恩里克也这么嘱咐。看来我是老了。”他抿紧嘴唇摇摇头，“等战斗打响时，我会抄起枪和你们并肩作战——不过在此之前，我会尽量小心。”

“You haven’t become any less fierce in your old age,” said Anderson with amusement.
"你年纪大了倒是一点都没收敛脾气，"安德森语带调侃地说道。

“Nor have you,” said Arnold. “Just because you look young doesn’t mean you get to avoid the old category like the rest of us.” He turned to stride back toward a waiting helicopter, waving over his shoulder. “Until later, Anderson! Provided there is a later for both of us.”
"你也一样，"阿诺德回敬道，"别以为顶着张年轻脸就能躲过'老家伙'这个头衔。"他转身大步走向等候的直升机，背对着挥了挥手。"回见，安德森！如果我们都能活到那时候的话。"

Anderson waved his farewells and started toward his own transport. There wasn’t any time to offer a farewell to Pauls’ division; he needed to get back to Hellsing and resume his research, least Geremia launch another attack before he’d managed to finish.
安德森挥手道别，走向自己的交通工具。来不及向保罗分队告别了，他必须赶回 hellsing 继续研究，以免杰里米亚在他完成前再次发动袭击。

The next few days were something of a blur courtesy of Anderson spending an inordinate amount of time awake and only remembering to eat and drink because Alucard would periodically offer him meals. “We don’t need a repeat of what happened last time you neglected your health,” Alucard would say, despite the fact Anderson hadn’t provided him blood since then. Without adequate sustenance, he was becoming just as fatigued as Anderson, struggling not to nod off throughout the day.
接下来的几天如同走马观花，因为安德森长时间保持清醒状态，全靠阿尔卡特定期送来餐食才记得进食。"我们可不想重演上次你搞垮身体的戏码，"阿尔卡特总这么说，尽管安德森之后再没给他提供过血液。缺乏足够补给的不死生物同样疲惫不堪，整天强撑着不让自己打瞌睡。

It was the sight of Alucard slumped against the wall on the third, or maybe forth day (the library was dark and he’d been sleeping at odd hours, so he hadn’t a good idea of the passage of time) that finally prompted Anderson to slow down. The work was largely done. He only needed write out the instructions and deliver them to Integra. Now he needed to make efforts toward rejuvenation, starting with Alucard. He'd feed him as much as he could in preparation for tomorrows battle.
第三天，或许是第四天（图书馆里光线昏暗，他又总是睡得不规律，所以对时间流逝没什么概念），当安德森看见阿卡德瘫靠在墙边时，终于决定放慢节奏。工作已基本完成，他只需写下指令交给因特古拉。现在他得着手恢复元气，从阿卡德开始。他会尽可能多地喂食对方，为明天的战斗做准备。

Before approaching Alucard, he cleared his table of all documentation and gathered the plates and cutlery that had accumulated. His health wasn’t the only thing he’d been neglecting, and Alucard seemed to have reached a point where he was too engrossed in his hunger to clean up after Anderson. Anderson's nerves prickled and face preemptively warmed when he thought about how intense this feeding had the potential to be, but he pressed on through his reservations.
走向阿卡德之前，他先清理了堆满文件的桌面，收起积攒的餐盘餐具。这些日子他不仅忽视了自己的健康，阿卡德似乎也饿得顾不上替他收拾残局。想到这次喂食可能达到的激烈程度，安德森的神经刺痛起来，脸颊提前发烫，但他还是压下顾虑继续行动。

“Your chambers,” he told Alucard on his way to the exit.
"去你的房间，"他朝出口走去时对阿卡德说。

Alucard jerked his head up, eyes covetous. “For?”
阿卡德猛然抬头，眼中闪烁着贪婪："做什么？"

“You know what for,” said Anderson, slipping out and down the hall.
"你心知肚明，"安德森说着溜出房间，沿着走廊离去。

He gave the kitchen staff an apologetic look when depositing his dishes into the sink. He would have cleaned them himself, had he the time to spare, but he needed to feed Alucard, write out the instructions for Integra, and rest, so time wasn’t exactly on his side.
他将餐盘放进水槽时，向厨房工作人员投去歉意的眼神。若有闲暇，他本会亲自清洗餐具，但眼下他需要去喂食阿卡多、为因特古拉撰写行动指南，还得抓紧时间休息——时间确实不站在他这边。

While he hadn’t ventured into Alucard’s chambers since arriving at the Hellsing estate, he’d gone out of his way to make note of its location so he could add it to the Hellsing file at some point. They knew the general layout of the building, but this was the first any Iscariot had been inside, and a brief truce didn’t mean he wouldn’t gather all the advantages he could from the experience.
虽然自抵达海辛庄园后他从未踏足阿卡多的寝宫，但安德森特意记下了方位，准备日后补充进海辛档案。他们虽掌握建筑的大致布局，但这却是伊斯加略成员首次深入敌营，短暂的休战协议可不会阻止他趁机收集一切有利情报。

He wasn’t surprised to find that Alucard’s chambers descended even further into the earth. Probably even further than any other place in the estate. There didn't appear to be any light at the end of the stairs, and mid-way down the light from the hallway faded away to nothing and drowned him in a sea of black. At the landing, even with his impeccable night vision, Anderson could see nothing. Hear nothing too, despite the fact Alucard must have made it to the basement by now and must have known he was there.
他并不意外地发现阿卡德的房间继续向下延伸，深入地下。或许比庄园里任何地方都要深邃。楼梯尽头似乎没有任何光亮，走到中途时，走廊的光线便彻底消失，将他淹没在漆黑的海洋中。即便凭借完美的夜视能力，安德森在平台处依然什么都看不见。也什么都听不见——尽管阿卡德此刻肯定已抵达地下室，也必然知晓他的到来。

“Not tired enough to not play games, I see,” he said, exasperated.
"看来你还没累到不想玩游戏的地步，"他恼火地说道。

“Tired enough to need them,” said Alucard.
"但累到需要它们了，"阿卡德回答。

From his voice, he was able to gauge that the man was standing behind him, just at his left shoulder, and the fact he hadn’t heard so much as a rustling of fabric had a fearful, primeval part of him rising to attention. He took a short breath, turned, and startled as his jaw encountered something cool and encased in soft fabric. Fingers, his mind informed him, and knowing they were fingers let Anderson to finding Alucard's wrist, which he curled his hand around.
通过声音判断，那人正站在他身后，就在左肩位置。而最令人不安的是，他竟连衣料摩擦声都未曾听见——这让他体内某种原始的恐惧本能骤然警醒。他短促地吸了口气转身，下颌却意外触到某种冰凉柔软的东西。是手指，他后知后觉地意识到。确认这点后，安德森顺势握住了对方的手腕。

“Predatory impulses,” he observed. The bright of Alucard’s eyes was the only blip of colour in the sea of dark. The glow wasn’t enough to illuminate anything.
"掠食冲动，"他评价道。阿卡德眼中那抹亮色是这片黑暗之海中唯一的色彩。那点微光不足以照亮任何事物。

“Prey impulses,” said Alucard with a laugh, fingers smoothly delving beneath Anderson’s glove and shirt to make room for his teeth. His other hand rose to Anderson’s collar, tugging at it. “Standing in the dark with a predator- the fact you’re allowing it is testament to your will.”
"被捕食的冲动，"阿卡德笑着回应，手指灵巧地探入安德森的手套与衬衫下方，为他的利齿开辟空间。另一只手则攀上安德森的衣领，轻轻拉扯着。"站在黑暗里与掠食者共处——你允许这件事发生，本身就证明了你的意志力。"

Anderson’s ears flared red. “You’re not going to persuade me to let you drink from my neck with compliments, Alucard.” He tried to brush away the hand at his collar to no avail, Alucard hungrily grappling at his clothes.
安德森的耳尖瞬间涨红。"别以为说几句恭维话我就会让你咬脖子，阿卡德。"他试图拨开对方揪住衣领的手却徒劳无功，吸血鬼正饥渴地撕扯着他的衣物。

“Merely an observation,” said Alucard, swallowing wetly. “I wish to drink from your forearm. Your clothes are in the way.”
"只是陈述事实，"阿卡德咽着唾沫说道，"我想从你的前臂进食。这些布料太碍事了。"

“Is there something wrong with my wrist?” he asked, irate, but he still shrugged off the coat and worked off the clergy jacket to allow access to his forearm. Hungry as Alucard was, he would probably end up making a mess if he drank from Anderson’s wrist, and then he’d end up without his coat and jacket anyway.
“我的手腕有什么问题吗？”他恼怒地问道，但还是甩掉外套，脱下神职夹克，露出前臂。既然阿尔卡特这么饥渴，要是从安德森的手腕下口，八成会弄得一片狼藉——到头来外套和夹克照样保不住。

“Thin flow,” said Alucard, his voice developing a deeper rasping quality with each layer Anderson pulled out of the way. “I have been patient enough, I think. I have not bothered you with my needs.”
“血流太细，”阿尔卡特的声音随着安德森每解开一层衣物而变得愈发沙哑低沉，“我想我已经够有耐心了。从没拿自己的需求烦过你。”

While he addressed Anderson’s went unsaid.
这句针对安德森的潜台词悬而未决。

“Drink,” said Anderson gruffly, shoving his shirt out of the way to unveil the crook of his elbow.
“喝吧，”安德森粗声粗气地说着，扯开衬衫露出肘窝。

The moment permission had been extended, that quick-witted mouth had relocated to his arm and torn into it with serrated teeth, and it was so sudden, so startling, and so painful that Anderson was helpless to prevent the shout that left him. It wasn’t like the prior feedings. It hurt; it hurt not like a normal wound, but like a blistering heat applied directly to every single one of his nerves, all of them lighting up like candle wicks. A pain undoubtedly felt by most of Alucard’s victims before the relief of death. A lesser man would have jerked away, but the Iscariot trump card had greater endurance than that.
就在许可被给予的瞬间，那道伶牙俐齿已迅即转移到他手臂上，锯齿状的尖牙撕开皮肉。这突如其来的袭击如此骇人，剧痛让安德森猝不及防地痛呼出声。与先前的进食截然不同——这疼痛不像普通伤口，而是如同滚烫烙铁直接灼烧每根神经末梢，所有神经纤维都像烛芯般燃烧起来。这无疑是阿尔卡特大多数受害者在死亡解脱前所经历的痛苦。换作常人早该挣脱，但这位叛徒之王的王牌有着超乎常人的忍耐力。

He didn’t have to endure long. The pain started to dull, and the way Alucard’s teeth shifted within his flesh suggested he was consciously manipulating the sensation despite his immense hunger. Anderson hadn’t realised how much he’d been tensing until his muscles started to unwind. So great was the relief that he listed forward, his chest jostling against Alucard’s narrow shoulder, who remained as firm as a gargoyle despite Anderson’s significant weight.
煎熬并未持续太久。当疼痛开始钝化时，阿尔卡特在他血肉中调整獠牙角度的动作表明，这头饥肠辘辘的怪物正在有意识地操控痛感。直到肌肉逐渐放松，安德森才意识到自己先前绷得有多紧。如释重负的快感让他向前倾倒，胸膛撞上阿尔卡特嶙峋的肩膀——尽管承受着神父魁梧身躯的重量，对方仍如石像鬼般纹丝不动。

He’d been right to suspect –to fear? – that this would be even more profound than the last feeding. With the pain fading away, his senses were overcome by the pleasure of the bite, that throttling euphoria that rendered his thoughts vague and fragmented and deprived him of the ability to keep himself upright. He felt Alucard’s hands upon his chest, pushing him back, and he was in no state of mind to do anything but let them guide him across the room. Cool wood made contact with his calves and he went sprawling backwards, thudding into an un-cushioned chair- which would have been uncomfortable under any other circumstances, but he melted into the grip of that hard wood. Alucard followed him down without any trouble, one of his knees wedging in between Anderson’s thighs in a way that would have registered as obscene were Anderson not in such wonderful throes.
他先前的疑虑——或者说恐惧？——果然没错，这次进食远比上次更令人沉沦。随着痛感消退，噬咬带来的快感彻底占据感官，那种令人窒息的狂喜将思维撕成模糊的碎片，剥夺了他保持直立的能力。当阿尔卡特的手掌抵住他胸膛向后推时，他混沌的意识只能任凭对方引导着穿过房间。小腿撞上冰凉的木制品，他踉跄着跌进一把没有软垫的椅子——这本该硌得人生疼，但此刻他就像融化般陷进硬木的怀抱。阿尔卡特从容不迫地压下来，膝盖卡进安德森双腿之间的姿态本该显得淫靡，可惜神父正沉溺在美妙的恍惚中无暇他顾。

His arm was held aloft while Alucard drank from it, and even the pins and needles that crawled up his emptied fingers felt pleasant right now. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back. The blood loss should have left him cold, but instead he was hot to the point to sweating, his shirt sticky against his chest and the nape of his neck prickling from the heat. The thundering of his heart sent his blood raging and it was violent enough to make his bones tremble. 
他的手臂被高高举起，阿尔卡德正从中啜饮，此刻就连那些攀爬在他失血手指上的刺痛感都显得美妙。他闭上眼，任由头颅后仰。失血本该让他感到寒冷，可他却热得汗流浃背，衬衫黏在胸膛上，后颈因燥热而刺痛。心脏的轰鸣使血液沸腾，剧烈的程度令他的骨骼都在震颤。

He was dazed yet hyper-aware of every little feeling; the chill of the chair on his over-sensitised skin, the heat gathered in his face and chest and neck, the sweat beading off his hairline, the slide of Alucard’s cool lips on his forearm, the teeth embedded deep in his muscle. The assault was relentless, and it should have been too much, too great for a man who had denied himself a lifetime of pleasure, but it unearthed a greed he hadn’t known he possessed and he leaned into it to encourage more.
他昏昏沉沉却又对每丝细微感受异常敏锐：过度敏感的肌肤接触椅子的冰凉，聚集在面部、胸膛与颈部的燥热，从发际线滚落的汗珠，阿尔卡德冰冷的唇在他前臂游移的触感，以及深嵌进肌肉的獠牙。这攻势本该让一个终生禁欲之人难以承受，却意外掘出了他未曾察觉的贪婪，他主动迎合，渴求更多。

Alucard obliged. He drank slower and slid his tongue over the healing wounds with a sensuality he hadn’t displayed during past feedings. His free hand stretched out, fanned over Anderson’s jaw and slid down his neck, and God, those cool fingers felt glorious on his overheated skin. Anderson leaned into them and the thin cloth barrier that prevented direct contact melted away, so it was with bare fingers that Alucard’s hand drifted lower, down the trembling column of Anderson's throat to dip into the hollow of his clavicle, then even lower, flicking buttons out as it ventured down his chest.
阿尔卡德欣然应允。他放慢啜饮速度，用过去进食时从未展现的色气舔舐愈合中的伤口。空闲的手掌展开，覆上安德森的下颌，顺着脖颈滑下——天啊，那冰凉手指在他发烫的皮肤上简直美妙绝伦。安德森主动贴近，阻隔直接接触的薄薄衣料如同融化，阿尔卡德的手掌便赤裸着继续下探，沿着颤抖的喉结没入锁骨凹陷，而后更低，指尖挑开纽扣向胸膛深处游走。

When Alucard removed his teeth in favour of leaning over Anderson, into Anderson, boxing him against the chair, Anderson didn’t push him away. The seconds passed, the euphoria receded, and he still didn’t push Alucard away. The man’s hand was so close to his crotch now that he could probably feel the heat of Anderson's arousal. Anderson very nearly lifted his hips into it, remaining still only out of a lingering sense of propriety.
当阿卡德收起獠牙，转而倾身压向安德森，将他困在椅子间时，安德森没有推开他。时间流逝，狂喜退潮，他依然没有推开阿卡德。对方的手此刻离他的胯部如此之近，甚至能感受到他情动的灼热。安德森几乎要抬腰迎合，仅存的体面才让他勉强保持静止。

“Anderson.” The way Alucard said his name, with such desire, made Anderson shiver. “Tell me you want this.”
"安德森。"阿卡德呼唤他名字时饱含的渴望令神父战栗，"说你想要。"

Anderson swallowed. The feeding he could regard a sacrifice to keep Alucard reliable as an ally. Anything further did not have such a convenient excuse. But the fact he was seeking excuses at all made what he wanted undeniable. He wanted Alucard, he wanted this- he didn’t even know what this was going to be and he still wanted it. He would never have imagined harbouring such interest for his nemesis, of all people, but Alucard had always brought odd sentiments out in him.
安德森喉结滚动。他可以将喂血视为维持盟友关系的必要牺牲。但更进一步的行为却找不到这般冠冕堂皇的借口。而正是这种寻找借口的行径，彻底暴露了他无法否认的欲念——他想要阿卡德，想要此刻发生的一切，即便他根本不清楚接下来会是什么。他从未想过自己会对宿敌怀有这种念头，可阿卡德总能从他心底勾出最古怪的情愫。

“Must you make everything hard?” he asked, peeling his eyes open to stare into the dark above him.
"你非得把每件事都变得这么难堪吗？"他问道，掀开眼帘凝视上方的黑暗。

“Yes,” said Alucard with a curl of his lips. He grazed his fingers over the tent of Anderson’s trousers and Anderson choked on a breath. “Shall I spare you the witty remark?”
“好啊，”阿卡德嘴角微扬地说道。他的手指轻掠过安德森裤裆的隆起处，后者顿时呼吸一滞。“需要我免去那些俏皮话吗？”

“Please,” Anderson breathed, which of course had two meanings, and Alucard obliged them both when he leaned down to mould his mouth over his bulge. Anderson groaned and thumped his head against the throne, arching until he was drawn with all the tension of a bow.
“求你了，”安德森喘息道——这词当然有双重含义，而阿卡德俯身用嘴唇包裹住他裤裆的轮廓时，将两种含义都满足了。安德森呻吟着将后脑重重抵在王座上，弓起腰身直到整个人绷得像张拉满的弓。

“Say you want this, priest,” Alucard instructed, applying pressure to the outline of Anderson’s cock with his lips and tongue. A groan spilled from Anderson's lips. “I won’t proceed until you do.”
“说你想要，神父，”阿卡德用唇舌描摹着安德森阴茎的轮廓施压，命令道。安德森的喉间溢出呜咽。“你不开口，我就停在这里。”

“I-I-“ Anderson curled his hands into Alucard’s duster, fingers shaking. The last vestiges of resistance were slipping from him. All his fears of disappointing God, betraying himself, breaking his vows- slipping away. “I want this,” he said at last.
“我…我…”安德森颤抖的手指攥紧了阿卡德的皮风衣。最后的抵抗正从他体内流失。所有对辜负神明、背叛自我、违背誓言的恐惧——都在消散。“我想要，”他终于说道。

Quick work was made of his button and zipper. The moment his cock met the air, Anderson was shivering and curling his fingers and toes, tilting his hips in a way that brought it closer to Alucard’s lips. And then Alucard parted them, slipped Anderson’s cock right down into the cool, tight cavern of his throat, and that was all he needed to do to deprive Anderson of any composure that had survived the initial onslaught, reducing Anderson to shouting and shaking and thrusting needily into the soft of Alucard’s throat.
纽扣和拉链很快被解开。当他的阴茎暴露在空气中时，安德森颤抖着蜷起手指和脚趾，臀部前倾让性器更靠近阿卡德的嘴唇。随后阿卡德分开双唇，将他的阴茎径直吞入那冰凉紧致的喉道——仅这个动作就彻底击溃了安德森在最初攻势后残存的理智，让他只能嘶喊着战栗，饥渴地在阿卡德柔软的喉间抽插。

Alucard guided Anderson's legs over his shoulders, providing him greater access to Anderson’s cock and greater control over the pace of the blowjob. Probably didn’t want Anderson to finish too soon, which was a very real threat with how chaste he’d been his entire life. He could distantly feel wisps of shadow curling around his calves, keeping his legs in place, preventing him from thrusting up with as much force as he wanted to.
阿卡德将安德森的双腿架到自己肩上，这样既能更深入地吞吐他的阴茎，又能更好地控制口交节奏。或许是不想让安德森过早释放——考虑到他毕生恪守的禁欲生活，这确实是个迫在眉睫的威胁。安德森恍惚感觉到阴影如丝缕般缠绕着小腿，既固定住他的双腿，又阻止他随心所欲地用力顶弄。

The flat of Alucard’s tongue ground against the underside of his cock as Alucard bobbed and sucked, keeping a pace that was almost languid, but no less pleasurable for that. Anderson wasn’t entirely conscious of what noises he was making, but he knew they were loud, keening, thoroughly debauched. He tried biting his lips shut at various points, but failed whenever Alucard did something particularly talented with his tongue. His grip on Alucard’s duster had become vice-like, knuckles white and nails biting into the fabric. Had Alucard not clothed himself in his own shadows, Anderson probably would have torn it.
阿卡德吞吐时，宽平的舌面碾磨着阴茎下侧，节奏近乎慵懒却丝毫不减快感。安德森已不清楚自己发出了怎样的声音，只知道那些高亢的、渴求的、彻底放荡的呻吟根本不受控制。他数次试图咬紧嘴唇，却总在阿卡德施展精妙舌技时溃不成军。他攥住阿卡德皮衣的指节已然发白，指甲深深陷进衣料。若非那件皮衣本就是由阴影幻化，恐怕早被撕得粉碎。

At some point Alucard began to apply pressure to the ridge of his cock and that had his body quaking and his thighs tensing. All the times he’d masturbated to relieve morning arousal – which, admittedly, wasn’t often – and Anderson had never realised something so simple could feel so damn good, could make his entire body pulse and his head swim and every hair stand on end. The persistent pressure drove Anderson over the edge. He finished with a shout and involuntarily dug his heels into Alucard's back. His thighs trembled. His eyes rolled back. He pressed his head hard against the rest of the throne, and when the euphoria began to recede and exhaustion took its place, he sunk bonelessly into his seat.
不知何时，阿卡德开始用指节压迫他阴茎的冠状沟，这让他全身战栗、大腿紧绷。过去他偶尔会通过自慰来缓解晨勃——老实说次数并不多——但安德森从未意识到如此简单的动作竟能带来这般极致的快感，让他的全身脉搏狂跳、头脑晕眩、每根毛发都竖立起来。持续的压迫感终于将安德森推过临界点。随着一声嘶吼达到高潮时，他的脚后跟不受控制地抵进阿卡德后背，大腿剧烈颤抖，眼珠向上翻起，后脑勺重重抵住王座靠背。当狂喜逐渐消退，疲惫接管身体后，他像被抽了骨头般瘫进座位里。

Alucard drew off his cock and gently tucked him back into his trousers. He zipped Anderson up, straightened his clothes, and then rose to lean his face into the side of Anderson’s neck, his cheek a shock of cold against Anderson heated skin. Anderson didn’t mind. It felt nice, and frankly, even if it hadn’t, he was much too tired and satisfied after his orgasm to much care about such trifles. 
阿卡德从他挺立的性器上退开，动作轻柔地将它塞回裤中。拉好拉链，抚平衣褶后，吸血鬼俯身将冰凉的脸颊贴上安德森泛着潮红的颈侧。安德森并不介意这份寒意。这感觉很舒服，况且——即便不舒服——刚经历高潮的他此刻也疲懒得不愿计较这些琐事。

“You will have to reciprocate, at some point,” said Alucard, smiling against his skin.
"改日你得礼尚往来。"阿卡德贴着他肌肤低语，唇角噙着笑意。

Anderson huffed. “Let me bask in the moment.”
安德森嗤了一声："让我先享受完此刻。"

“Very well,” said Alucard. “But I don’t have accommodations for a human here, so I will be transferring you to bed at some point.”
“很好，”阿卡德说道。“但我这里没有为人类准备的住处，所以过会儿我会把你转移到床上去。”

“Mmm,” was all Anderson said to that. He didn’t even want to think about moving right now. Just wanted to sit there in the dark while the afterglow washed over him.
“嗯，”安德森对此只应了这么一声。他现在根本不想考虑移动的事。只想坐在黑暗中，让余韵冲刷全身。

Which he got to do for maybe thirty minutes before Alucard heaved him out of the throne and carried him to his bed. It was assistance Anderson didn’t particularly appreciate, nor need, but he was so tired that he decided to hold off on complaining until he got some sleep. The moment he was deposited into his bed, he drifted off. 
这份宁静大约持续了三十分钟，随后阿卡德就把他从王座上拽起来，抱到了床上。安德森并不特别感激这种帮助，也不需要，但他实在太累了，决定先睡一觉再抱怨。刚被放到床上，他就沉入了梦乡。

Anderson awoke to something curling around his shoulders. His time as a soldier had honed his sensitivity to stimuli during slumber, so he was awake within a split of a second, reaching for a bayonet he kept beneath his pillow- and finding nothing, because there was no pillow beneath him. Just hard, unforgiving floor that was sticky with liquid. That didn’t prevent him from gripping the intruder about the arm and wrapping a hand around their throat, forcing them to extend it to avoid injury.
安德森醒来时感到有东西缠绕在肩头。军旅生涯磨砺出他在睡梦中对刺激的敏锐感知，因此他瞬间清醒，伸手去摸枕下的刺刀——却什么也没摸到，因为他身下根本没有枕头。只有坚硬无情的地板，上面沾着黏稠液体。这并不妨碍他一把扣住入侵者的手臂，同时用手扼住对方咽喉，迫使对方伸长脖子以免受伤。

The realisation he was currently holding Seras Victoria followed a few moments later. His grip slackened, but didn’t release completely. The liquid, he belatedly realised, was blood, and the amount crusted around the back of his head made it evident where it had come from. 
片刻之后他才意识到自己正钳制着塞拉斯·维多利亚。他的力道稍有放松，但并未完全松开。他迟钝地意识到那些液体是血，而后脑凝结的大量血迹清楚地表明了它们的来源。

“What-?”  "怎么——？"

“He’s gone!” Seras shouted over him. “Master- Alucard- he’s gone!”
"他不见了！"塞拉斯压过他的声音喊道，"主人——阿卡多——他不见了！"

Anderson’s gaze flew to the dark next to his door, which was absent of the pinpricks of light that represented Alucard’s eyes. Even a whisper of a sound was enough to wake him at night, so it didn’t take an Einstein (or whatever the saying was) to figure out what instruction Geremia had given to ensure Anderson wouldn’t be cognisant for Alucard's escape.
安德森的目光飞快扫向门边的黑暗处，那里本该有阿尔卡特双眼的微光闪烁，此刻却空无一物。哪怕最轻微的声响也足以在夜间惊醒他，所以根本不需要什么天才（或是任何类似的谚语）就能猜到杰雷米亚下了什么指令，以确保安德森不会察觉阿尔卡特的逃离。

He threw the girl aside and perched on the edge of the bed to pull on his shoes and socks. He’d been going to bed in his clothes lately (clean ones, of course) so he would be prepared to leave at a moments notice, so shoes and socks were all the clothes he needed to worry about. Seras anxiously paced the floor.
他将女孩推到一旁，坐在床沿弯腰穿鞋袜。最近他都是和衣而卧（当然是干净的衣物），以便随时能即刻动身，因此只需操心鞋袜穿戴。塞拉斯在房间里焦虑地来回踱步。

“I’ll be borrowing a jet,” he told Seras, reaching for his phone. The fact he hadn’t received a call from the Vatican was concerning. Every potential reason for that chilled his blood.
"我要征用一架喷气机，"他对塞拉斯说着伸手去拿手机。梵蒂冈至今没有来电的事实令人不安。每一个可能的缘由都让他血液凝固。

“Master destroyed them,” said Seras. “There’s- there’s nothing. Not even a helicopter left.”
"主人把那些都毁掉了，"塞拉斯颤声道，"现在——现在什么都没有了。连一架直升机都没剩下。"

Anderson pinched his fingers over his eyes. “An air force jet, then,” he decided, leaping to his feet. “Tell Integra.”
安德森用指尖揉了揉眼睛。"那就派空军战机，"他决定道，猛地站起身。"去通知因特古拉。"

“But she wanted to speak to you,” said Seras weakly. “I’m supposed to bring you to her office!”
"可她想要见你，"塞拉斯虚弱地说。"我本该带你去她办公室的！"

“Too bad,” said Anderson.
"真遗憾，"安德森说。

She opened her mouth, tried to say something else, but Anderson slipped out the room before she could. He dialled Maxwell’s number as he took leaping strides down the hall. Dialled it again when that resulted in an absent beeping, and then began to dial as many other numbers as he could remember off the top of his head, desperately seeking someone who could tell him the state of Vatican City.
她张了张嘴，试图再说些什么，但安德森已闪身出了房间。他在走廊上大步流星地走着，同时拨通了马克斯韦尔的号码。当电话那头传来无人接听的忙音时，他又拨了一次，接着开始凭记忆疯狂拨打所有能想起的号码，拼命寻找能告诉他梵蒂冈现状的人。

It took four attempts for his call to finally reach someone.
他拨了四次电话才终于接通。

“Renaldo,” he said, relieved. “Renaldo, Alucard is missing.”
"雷纳尔多，"他松了口气说道，"雷纳尔多，阿卡德失踪了。"

“No, he isn’t,” said Renaldo, his voice so uncharacteristically small and frightened that it made Anderson’s stomach drop. It was exactly the answer he’d been anticipating, but actually hearing it still made his heart run that little bit faster. “That beast is here.”
"不，他没有，"雷纳尔多的声音反常地微弱颤抖，让安德森的心直往下沉。这正是他预料中的答案，但亲耳听到仍让心跳加速了几分。"那怪物就在这里。"

Anderson swallowed thickly. “Is he attacking?”
安德森艰难地咽了口唾沫："他在发动攻击吗？"

“No, he’s-“ A pause. “No one can escape. He surrounded Vatican City, and there’s buildings on fire. Sir Walter couldn't hold him back. I don’t know what’s happening, but we can’t even fly out. We can’t call for help- the lines have been cut. There’s no power.” A shuddering breath. “St. Peter's Basilica is burning.”
“不，他——”一阵停顿。“没人能逃脱。他包围了梵蒂冈城，到处都是燃烧的建筑。沃尔特爵士挡不住他。我不知道发生了什么，但我们甚至无法飞出去。我们无法求救——通讯线路都被切断了。电力也中断了。”颤抖的呼吸声。“圣彼得大教堂正在燃烧。”

Anderson staggered forward, catching himself on a wall. St. Peter's Basilica, burning. Centuries of history wiped out by one madman, and he knew more would be burned off the face of the earth before he managed to reach Rome.
安德森踉跄着向前，扶住墙壁稳住身形。圣彼得大教堂，燃烧着。几个世纪的历史被一个疯子抹去，而他明白在自己抵达罗马之前，还会有更多事物从地表被烈焰吞噬。

Anderson's fingers shook as he drew out his bible, preparing to teleport his way to RAF Lakenheath. He didn’t know how to fly a jet. He’d have to track down one of the Vatican plants and have them fly him there.
安德森的手指颤抖着抽出圣经，准备用传送术前往莱肯希思皇家空军基地。他不会驾驶喷气机。他得找到安插在梵蒂冈的眼线，让他们载自己过去。

“You didn’t break the seals,” breathed Renaldo. “Did you make any progress? Any at all?”
“你没有破坏封印，”雷纳尔多低声说。“有任何进展吗？哪怕一点点？”

“I did.” Everything was done. Everything- except the breaking of the seals. If not for that damned blowjob sending him to sleep, this could have been prevented, and he felt a right, selfish fool to have let pleasure be the reason for his failure. “I have everything I need," he said. 
“我做到了。”一切都完成了。一切——除了封印的破除。若不是那个该死的口交让他昏睡过去，这本可以避免，他觉得自己真是个彻头彻尾的蠢货，竟让快感成为失败的理由。“我所需之物尽在掌握，”他说道。

There was no time to transfer the information and tools to Integra. He’d have to do it himself, break the terms Iscariot had brokered with Hellsing. It wasn’t as though Iscariot hadn’t done it before, and for less legitimate reasons than her pet vampire acting as a blockade while his people were slaughtered.
没时间将情报和工具转交给因特古拉了。他必须亲自出手，打破伊斯卡利奥特与赫尔辛协商达成的条款。反正伊斯卡利奥特以前也没少干这种事，而且理由远不如这次正当——毕竟这次是他的宠物吸血鬼在阻挠行动，而他的人正在被屠杀。

“How fast can you get here?” asked Renaldo, and he must have stepped outside, because Anderson could hear faint crackling and yelling.
"你最快多久能到？"雷纳尔多问道，他肯定走到了室外，因为安德森能听见微弱的爆裂声和喊叫声。

“They purchased the Eurofighter Typhoon earlier this year.” Iscariot kept tabs on these things. One could never be too cautious with protestants. “I’ll push it to its greatest speed possible.” He feverishly went over the numbers. “It’ll take me about thirty minutes to get there. Hold on for thirty minutes.”
"他们今年早些时候采购了欧洲台风战斗机。"伊斯卡利奥特一直监视着这些动向。对待新教徒再怎么谨慎都不为过。"我会把速度推到极限。"他狂热地计算着数字，"大约三十分钟能到。撑住三十分钟。"

Renaldo immediately recognised who 'they' was. The man always had been perceptive and well-informed. “William Ruthner. Aeronautical Engineer. You’ll find him in the hangar. Code word is Agnus Dei.”
雷纳尔多立刻明白了"他们"指谁。这个男人向来洞察力敏锐且消息灵通。"威廉·鲁斯纳，航空工程师。去机库找他，暗号是 Agnus Dei。"

“I’ll see you soon, Father Renaldo.”
“很快会再见的，雷纳尔多神父。”

“I have every faith you’ll come through for us, Father Anderson.”
“我对您充满信心，安德森神父，您绝不会让我们失望。”

He ended the call and drew out his bible. A torrent of scripture rose up as he flipped it open and he took a deep breath, focusing on where he wanted to go. Great distances could be achieved with the right amount of focus and patience- patience which was very difficult to find right now, but he closed his eyes, breathed out, breathed in, and thought hard about where he wanted to be, calling on photographs to identify a safe place to be deposited.
他挂断电话，抽出圣经。书页翻动间经文如洪流涌现，他深吸一口气，集中精神想着目的地。只要足够专注与耐心——虽然此刻耐心实在难觅——就能跨越遥远距离。他闭目调息，在吐纳间竭力构想目标方位，借助记忆中的照片确认安全的降落点。

The warm light that radiated from the pages suffused him like a blanket and then receded all at once. When he opened his eyes he was standing a few feet from a towering hangar and surrounded by people skittering away, having been caught in his torrent of scripture. He turned to the closest one and hauled them close by their shirt, which prompted a few of the others to fumble weapons into their hands.
书页迸发的温暖光芒如毯子般包裹全身，又骤然消退。睁眼时他已站在高耸的机库数英尺外，周围人群正因卷入经文洪流而惊慌逃窜。他揪住最近那人的衣领拽到跟前，这个动作立刻引得其他人手忙脚乱地掏出了武器。

“William Ruthner. I need to speak to him.”
“威廉·鲁斯纳。我要和他谈谈。”

“Wh-who?” stammered the man.
“谁、谁？”那人结结巴巴地问。

Anderson tossed him aside with a scowl and hurried his way into the hangar, ignoring the people that pursued with guns raised and demands for compliance. An alarm went off as he neared the back of the hangar, and he ignored that too.
安德森阴沉着脸将他甩到一旁，快步冲进机库，对身后举枪追赶要求他服从命令的人群置若罔闻。当他接近机库后方时警报响起，他同样充耳不闻。

“I need to speak to William Ruthner!” he bellowed. “Agnus Dei! Agnus Dei!” Hopefully there was another plant, because this one wasn’t going to be able to return after Anderson's display.
“我要见威廉·鲁斯纳！”他怒吼道，“神之羔羊！神之羔羊！”但愿这里还有别的眼线，因为眼前这个家伙在目睹安德森的举动后，恐怕没法活着回去复命了。

A man who perfectly fit the stereotype of an Englishman emerged from the back of the room, arms raised in the air. “Agnus Dei, Father!” he called, and his English accent was perfect. The Vatican always chose carefully when arranging plants. He continued in crisp Italian. “What do you-?”
一个完全符合英国人刻板印象的男子从房间后方现身，双臂高举过头。"Agnus Dei，神父！"他用纯正的英式口音喊道。梵蒂冈安插眼线时总是精挑细选。他随即切换成清晰的意大利语继续道："您需要什——"

Anderson didn’t give him the opportunity to finish. “Eurofighter Typhoon. I need to be taken to Vatican City.”
安德森没给他说完的机会。"欧洲台风战斗机。立刻送我去梵蒂冈城。"

William Ruthner – undoubtedly not his real name – glanced around at the surrounding hostiles before gesturing Anderson closer, keeping his hands up in the air as he did so. As they were speaking a difference language, he expected the surrounding people thought this was some kind of confrontation, perhaps terrorist attack, and William was speaking him down. Which they would hopefully be convinced of until they got the jet running.
威廉·鲁斯纳——这显然不是真名——环顾四周虎视眈眈的敌人，示意安德森靠近，双手始终保持着投降姿势。由于他们说着不同语言，周围人大概以为这是某种对峙场面，或许是恐怖袭击，而威廉正在劝降。但愿这些人会保持这种误解，直到他们启动战机。

“It’s there,” said William, jerking his head toward a stunning jet sitting at the far end of the room. “How should we approach it?”
"就在那儿，"威廉朝房间远端那架炫目的战机甩了甩头，"我们怎么接近它？"

Anderson licked his lips. “Fast,” he said, hauling William toward him by an arm and catching a bullet in the side of his head as he did so. His vision swam and blood slid in thick rivulets down his temple and jaw, dripping off to soak into his clerical collar, turning it red. None of this prevented Anderson from hauling William through the hanger. The shock of a man surviving a bullet to the head bought them a few seconds of reprieve, but the assault resumed when William opened the fighter jet cockpit for him. Three bullets struck Anderson in the back and he ignored them just as he had the first, crawling into the jet behind William and throwing up his arms to prevent anything from harming his pilot.
安德森舔了舔嘴唇。"快，"他说着拽住威廉的手臂将他拉向自己，同时一颗子弹击中了他的太阳穴。他的视线模糊起来，浓稠的血流顺着太阳穴和下巴滑落，浸透了牧师领，将其染成红色。但这丝毫没能阻止安德森拖着威廉穿过机库。有人头部中弹却仍能存活的震惊场面为他们争取了几秒喘息时间，但当威廉为他打开战斗机驾驶舱时，袭击又开始了。三颗子弹击中安德森的后背，他像对待第一颗子弹那样置之不理，紧跟着威廉爬进机舱，高举双臂保护他的飞行员不受任何伤害。

They knocked people over on their way out. Nearly smashed an entering plane too, turning just in time to avoid the wings colliding. They didn’t even use the strip to take off; just streamed across what space was available and took off into the air, the bottom of the jet grazing the fence framing the perimeter of the air base and no doubt leaving jagged scratches on the paintwork.
他们横冲直撞地突围而出。差点撞上一架正要降落的飞机，千钧一发之际转向避免了机翼相撞。他们甚至没有使用跑道起飞；只是利用现有空间加速滑行便冲上云霄，战机底部擦过空军基地外围的围栏，无疑在机身上留下了锯齿状的刮痕。

Once they were at a high enough altitude to be off the air force radar, Anderson anxiously began going over the ritual to break the seals. He wasn’t worried about it not working; he was confident in his work, but getting the stake into Alucard would be a trial and the recovery period meant he’d probably be useless as an ally once freed of his seals. Geremia had all the relics and intended to use them recklessly, without deference for God’s designs, and Anderson was to face him with nothing but the nail and his will. He had every intention of winning, every confidence that God would enable him to- but how empty would the Vatican be by the end? How much history would be destroyed before he managed to bring down this madman? Would the Vatican survive at all?
当攀升到足以脱离空军雷达监测的高度后，安德森开始焦虑地反复检查解除封印的仪式。他并不担心仪式会失效；对自己的工作充满信心，但要将木桩刺入阿卡德体内将是一场考验，而恢复期意味着解除封印后他很可能无法作为盟友提供帮助。杰里米亚掌握了所有圣物并打算肆意使用，毫不顾忌上帝的旨意，而安德森只能凭借钉子和意志力与他抗衡。他抱着必胜的决心，坚信上帝会赐予他力量——但到一切结束时，梵蒂冈还会剩下什么？在这疯子被消灭前，多少历史将被摧毁？梵蒂冈还能继续存在吗？

Every minutes of the journey dragged. When the pilot finally informed him they were approaching their destination, Anderson was already prepared for his departure.
旅程的每一分钟都显得格外漫长。当飞行员终于通知他即将抵达目的地时，安德森早已做好了离开的准备。

“I might have trouble landing in Vatican City.” William glanced over his shoulder. “I can land just outside with relative safety.”
"在梵蒂冈城降落可能会有困难。"威廉回头瞥了一眼，"我可以在城外相对安全的地方着陆。"

“Find an appropriate airstrip,” said Anderson. “I won’t be accompanying you.”
"找个合适的跑道，"安德森说，"我不会和你同行。"

William appeared troubled by this comment. “The… the ejection seat isn’t viable at this height and velocity. You’ll have to wait until I’m closer to the earth.”
这句话让威廉显得忧心忡忡。"这个高度和速度下...弹射座椅无法正常使用。你得等我更接近地面才行。"

“Don’t worry,” said Anderson, an attempt to reassure William. “I have means to get there.”
“别担心，”安德森说道，试图让威廉安心，“我有办法到达那里。”

Means that weren’t as simple as his remark suggested, but there was no other way to reach the Vatican in a timely manner. He was just going to have to be very precise.
这个方法远不如他轻描淡写的话语那般简单，但要想及时抵达梵蒂冈别无选择。他必须做到分毫不差。

He closed his fingers tight around the bible, clutching it to his chest, and willed himself to reappear somewhere in the vicinity of Vatican City.
他五指紧攥圣经抵在胸前，集中意志让自己在梵蒂冈城附近某处重现。

He ended up approximately two hundred and fifty feet above his desired destination, air whistling in his ears at a deafening volume and cold slamming into him from all sides, sending a chill through muscle and viscera and crawling up his very bone marrow. The violent assault prevented him from opening his eyes long enough to look down, which was perhaps a good thing, as he might not have been able to resist the temptation to watch the earth rise up to meet him if he'd had them open. However, it did mean that he was hurtling in the dark, completely unaware of how close to the earth he was, how close he was to shattering every bone in his body.
结果他出现在目标地点上方约二百五十英尺处，震耳欲聋的气流呼啸声灌入耳膜，刺骨寒意从四面八方袭来，穿透肌肉脏腑直钻骨髓。剧烈的冲击让他无法睁眼俯瞰——这或许是件好事，否则他可能难以抗拒亲眼看着大地迎面扑来的诱惑。但这也意味着他在黑暗中急速坠落，完全不知道自己离地面多近，离粉身碎骨多近。

The bible had a ten second recharge. The wind was so loud he could barely hear himself counting them down in his own head. He held onto his bible like the lifeline it was, fingers white with tension. Over the din of the wind, a faint scream and the sound of a roaring fire reached him like a whisper through a tube. And then the scripture encased him again.
圣经需要十秒充能。狂风呼啸，他几乎听不见自己脑中的倒计时。他紧握着这本救命稻草般的圣经，指节因过度用力而发白。在呼啸的风声中，隐约的尖叫与烈火咆哮声如同通过管道传来的耳语般飘进他的耳朵。紧接着，圣言再次将他包裹。

The cold was driven away in an instant by a powerful wave of heat. He snapped his eyes open to the decimated entrance to St. Peter's Basilica, taking in with a sense of numb horror the charred and crumbling travertine stone walls, intricate designs eaten away by the flames. He turned away from the sight not because of the intense heat, but because of the distress of seeing such a beautiful, religiously significant structure reduced to ash. They could rebuild, emulate what had been, but it wouldn’t be the same. Geremia had successfully deprived his people of one of their most beloved monuments.
刺骨寒意瞬间被汹涌热浪驱散。他猛地睁眼，映入眼帘的是圣彼得大教堂支离破碎的入口——被烧焦的石灰华石墙正在崩塌，精美的雕饰被火焰蚕食殆尽。这幕景象令他麻木地感到恐惧，他别过脸去，并非因为灼人高温，而是目睹如此美丽且具有宗教意义的建筑化为灰烬的痛苦。人们可以重建，可以仿制，但永远不会是原来那座。杰里米亚成功剥夺了信徒们最珍视的圣地之一。

He needed to find Alucard. There was so much more the Vatican could lose.
他必须找到阿卡多。梵蒂冈还可能失去更多。

He replaced the bible with blades and hurtled away from the scene and into the ocean of thralls forming a barrier around Vatican City. His first encounter with Alucard’s mass of souls hadn’t prepared him for just how many there were. Thousands upon thousands as far as the eye could see, a truly impenetrable blockade, because even the most talented of Iscariot soldiers wouldn’t have been able to reach the end of the crowd before fatigue started to set in. 
他将圣经替换为利刃，从现场疾驰而出，冲向环绕梵蒂冈城的亡灵之海。初次遭遇阿卡多的魂灵大军时，他并未预料到数量竟如此骇人。目力所及之处数以万计，形成真正无法突破的屏障——即便是伊斯加略最精锐的战士，也休想在力竭前杀穿这茫茫人海。

It wasn’t hard to locate Alucard among the masses of thralls on the sole basis of him being in such a conspicuous form for this century. The paintings didn’t do Vlad the Impaler justice. He stood out tall among the crowd, his face narrow and regal, his hair windswept and his armour gleaming under the setting sun. A sword hung down by his thigh, long and impeccably made.
在奴仆群中定位阿卡多并非难事，毕竟这个世纪里他总以如此招摇的形态现身。那些油画根本未能展现穿刺公的真实气度。他如鹤立鸡群般挺拔，瘦削的面容透着帝王威仪，乱发在风中飞扬，铠甲沐浴着落日余晖。一柄工艺精湛的长剑悬于大腿外侧，寒光凛冽。

Anderson was going to have to use considerable force to penetrate the chain mail, an inconvenience he really could have done without. He cursed under his breath and threw bayonets into hand, willing his bible to deposit him just above Alucard, seeking to strike him before he could react. Alucard must have heard the flutter of pages, because he twisted just in time to evade a devastating wound, stumbling back into the surrounding thralls before hurtling at Anderson with his sword drawn. Metal sung as their blades collided. Anderson gripped his weapon with such force that it was a miracle the handle didn’t crumble.
安德森不得不动用惊人力量才能穿透那件锁子甲，这麻烦他实在避之不及。他低声咒骂着甩出刺刀，催动圣经将自己传送到阿卡多正上方，企图在对方反应前发起突袭。阿卡定是听见了书页翻动声，千钧一发之际拧身避过致命伤，踉跄跌进周围奴仆群中又即刻拔剑反扑。金属交鸣声中，安德森握刀之用力道骇人，刀柄竟未粉碎堪称奇迹。

Just like last time, the fight lacked any of its traditional passion, any enjoyment. It was perfunctory. Fighting because they had to, not because they had any desire to. Even as Anderson was made to push himself to his limits and beyond, he felt nothing for his opponent but disdain.
与上次如出一辙，这场厮杀毫无传统意义上的激情与快感。不过是例行公事。因责任而战，非为欲望而斗。即便安德森被迫突破极限，他对敌手唯余轻蔑。

“O Father in heaven, gracious God, source of life and health and mercy,” he began in strained Latin, taking a breath every other word. “I say this prayer out of pure love for You with every beat of my heart and with every breath I take. I ask you, with modesty for my position as your faithful servant, to breathe into this lost soul and enable me to free him of the fiendish whims of the wicked one. Allow me to sever which uses him for wanton destruction and impiety.”
“天上的父啊，仁慈的上帝，生命、健康与怜悯之源，”他用艰涩的拉丁文开口，每说两个词就要喘口气，“我怀着对您纯粹的爱向您祷告，以我心脏的每次跳动，以我肺腑的每次呼吸。谦卑如我，作为您忠实的仆人，恳请您将气息注入这迷途的灵魂，使我得以将他从恶魔的邪念中解放。请允许我斩断那驱使他肆意破坏与亵渎的枷锁。”

Alucard reacted to his words by trying to slam his blade through the underside of Anderson’s jaw. Anderson evaded it and used the attack to draw closer, trying to get in reach of Alucard’s chest. There was one convenience to Alucard being in this form: he favoured close-quarters combat, which meant he was practically handing Anderson opportunities to stab him. With some persistence, Anderson was eventually able to create a tether by slamming a bayonet into Alucard at an angle and pushing the man bodily back, trying to box him in against his familiars.
阿卡多闻言猛然挥剑，直取安德森下颌。神父侧身闪避，借势逼近，试图触及吸血鬼的胸膛。阿卡多保持人形倒有个便利之处：他偏爱近身搏斗，这等于主动将破绽送到安德森眼前。经过数次尝试，安德森终于斜插刺刀贯穿阿卡多身躯，以血肉之躯推着对方后退，试图将其逼入亡灵大军的包围圈。

“Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.” He twisted his blade within Alucard, forcing their bodies close. “With my right hand I raise the tool of deliverance and may God, our Lord and Saviour, imbue it with the strength to work. Amen!“
“主垂怜。基督垂怜。主垂怜。基督垂怜。”他在阿卡多体内拧转刀刃，迫使两人胸膛相贴，“我右手高举救赎之器，愿我主救世上帝赐予其神力。阿门！”

He slammed the stake down through cloth, chain mail and bone, eliciting a shout from Alucard and sending sticky, oily blood spurting onto his hand. He’d had just an inch or two to go when he was abruptly hauled back by the hoard of thralls behind him, pulled too far back to finish the work he’d started. Before his horror-struck eyes, Alucard tore the stake from his chest and threw it aside, rendering it lost among the sea of undead.
木桩穿透织物、锁甲与骨骼时，阿卡多发出痛吼，黏稠的黑血溅满神父手掌。就在桩尖即将完全没入的刹那，身后亡灵大军猛然将他拖离，功败垂成。在安德森惊骇的注视下，阿卡多拔出胸口的木桩随手丢弃，那圣器转瞬便湮没于不死者的海洋。

“No!” he snarled, slashing wildly at the thralls with the one arm that hadn’t been ensnared by a lumbering beast of a thrall.
“不！”他怒吼着，用那只未被笨拙食尸鬼缠住的胳膊疯狂劈砍着周围的奴仆。

He hauled himself with such strength in the direction the stake had been thrown that the thralls ensnaring him stumbled along behind him. He didn’t get far, however, before Alucard had fisted a hand around his throat and hauled him up into the air, using his other hand to catch Anderson’s wrist and shake his weapon free of his hand. The pressure on the cartilage of his throat cut off his breathing entirely, ensured he couldn’t so much as whimper as he was violently asphyxiated. Within seconds his head was swimming and his vision rapidly turning black around the edges. Drool gathered at the corner of his mouth, slid down the side, and God, he was damned hard to kill, but he was sure Alucard would find a way once the lack of oxygen cut off his ability to fight back.  
他朝着木桩投掷的方向爆发出惊人力量，拖拽着身后踉跄的食尸鬼们。然而没冲出几步，阿尔卡特就掐住他的咽喉将其提至半空，另一只手扣住安德森的手腕震落武器。喉软骨承受的压力彻底阻断了他的呼吸，在暴力窒息中他连呜咽都发不出来。数秒内他的头颅开始晕眩，视野边缘迅速被黑暗侵蚀。涎水在嘴角积聚滑落，天杀的，他虽以难杀著称，但确信当缺氧剥夺反抗能力时，阿尔卡特总有办法结果他。

He struggled. He kicked his legs, twisted his body as best he could while suspended, even tried gnashing his teeth at Alucard’s wrist, but he was completely unable to free himself from Alucard. The thralls were not so moored, so he was just able to throw them back far enough to free his hand and fumble for a weapon. The dark of unconsciousness rapidly closed in on him as he tore the nail out of his coat. He had to use it. The stake was gone. He had to use the nail. It was the best chance he had of saving the Vatican before it was burnt to the ground. He’d already wasted too much time with this fight. He needed to move on and confront Geremia.
他挣扎。悬空的双腿踢蹬，身躯竭力扭动，甚至试图啃咬阿尔卡特的手腕，却完全无法挣脱。那些奴仆倒没那么难缠，他刚甩开它们腾出手，便颤抖着摸索武器。当从大衣扯出圣钉时，昏迷的黑暗已急速笼罩视野。必须用它。木桩已失。必须用这枚钉子。这是在梵蒂冈焚毁前拯救它的最佳机会。这场缠斗已浪费太多时间。他必须突破重围直面杰雷米亚。

The casing shattered in his grip. The metal he closed his fingers around was rusted and rough and radiated an unnatural warmth. He jerked his hand up and took aim-
金属外壳在掌中碎裂。生锈粗糙的钉体散发着反常的温热。他猛然抬手瞄准——

The souls of the dead will find peace, but you’ll become nothing –
亡魂终将安息，而你却会化为虚无——

please-  求求你——

And found himself slamming it through the chain mail and into Alucard’s chest instead.
结果却发现自己将钉子穿透锁子甲，径直刺入了阿卡德的胸膛。

There was no time to think about what had compelled this decision. Alucard crumpled like wet tissue paper, releasing Anderson and sending him slamming into the cement. He stuttered back and spidered his fingers over the protruding nail, his mouth open, gaping with a silent scream, and a tremor rocking him from head to toe.
根本无暇思考是什么驱使他做出这个决定。阿卡德像浸湿的纸巾般瘫软下去，松开了安德森，让他重重摔在水泥地上。他踉跄后退，手指如蜘蛛般颤抖着触碰胸前突出的钉子，张大嘴巴发出无声的尖叫，从头到脚都在剧烈震颤。

Anderson had never seen the vampire in genuine pain before, but it was unmistakable, and it was vivid.
安德森从未见过吸血鬼真正痛苦的模样，但此刻那痛苦如此鲜明，不容错辨。

Surrounding them, the familiars were wailing and clawing at themselves as the flickering shadows transformed into vicious flames. The scent of burnt flesh filled the air.
环绕四周的使魔们哀嚎着抓挠自己，摇曳的阴影化作凶猛的火焰。空气中弥漫着皮肉焦灼的气息。

“Lord have mercy,” Anderson breathed, speaking fast and feverish. “Christ have mercy.”
"主啊，怜悯我们吧，"安德森急促而狂热地低语，"基督啊，垂怜我们。"

Alucard thudded to his knees. He was trying and failing to tear out the nail, his fingers steaming and blackening each time he made an attempt. If not for the shock, he suspected Alucard would have been wailing just like his familiars.
阿尔卡特重重跪倒在地。他徒劳地试图拔出那枚钉子，每次尝试都让他的手指冒着蒸汽焦黑溃烂。若非震惊过度，安德森怀疑阿尔卡特早该像他的使魔们一样发出凄厉哀嚎。

Geremia was no longer at the helm, that much could be said. A good thing, but Alucard was in absolute agony and Anderson didn’t hate the man nearly enough – didn’t hate him at all, he thought absently – to want to see him in such straits. He reached for the hand that was closed over the base of the nail and pushed it aside, moving his fingers over the item instead and repeating his prayer under his breath. He had intended to attempt a removal, but the moment his fingers brushed over the now searing-hot metal of the nail, it disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but vapours and a shuddering Alucard.
杰里米亚已不再掌舵，这一点毋庸置疑。虽是好事，但阿尔卡特正承受着极度的痛苦，而安德森对他的憎恨远不足以——或者说根本不存在，他心不在焉地想——让他愿意目睹对方陷入如此境地。他伸手握住那只紧攥着钉子根部的手，将其推开，转而将自己的手指覆于其上，低声重复着祷词。他本打算尝试拔出钉子，但当指尖触碰到那枚如今已灼热发烫的铁钉时，它竟瞬间化为烟尘消散，只余下袅袅蒸汽与浑身战栗的阿尔卡特。

A holy relic destroyed in an instant to liberate a vampire, and miraculously, it hadn't killed him. God certainly did work in mysterious ways.
一件圣物瞬间被毁以释放吸血鬼，而奇迹般地，这竟没有杀死他。上帝行事确实神秘莫测。

Alucard started to topple forward and Anderson caught him by the shoulders, manoeuvring Alucard to lean against his side. His shaking had reduced to a periodic tremble. Anderson folded an arm over his back and slid his hand beneath Alucard’s chin, tilting it up. His eyes were open, but vague, and his skin was even paler than usual, a sickly alabaster. There was no hope he’d be able to help deal with Geremia.
阿尔卡特开始向前倾倒，安德森抓住他的肩膀，让他靠在自己身侧。他的颤抖已减弱为间歇性的战栗。安德森将手臂环过他的后背，手指托起吸血鬼的下巴。那双眼睛虽然睁着却毫无焦距，皮肤比往常更加苍白，呈现出病态的大理石色泽。指望他帮忙对付杰勒米亚是绝无可能了。

“I need to go,” he told Alucard, who looked blearily up at him.
"我得走了，"安德森对眼神涣散的吸血鬼说道。

“Just…” Alucard planted his hands firmly on the ground and wobbled onto his knees. “Give me a moment and I can-“
"就..."阿尔卡特将双手重重撑在地上，摇晃着跪起身来，"给我一分钟，我就能——"

“We don’t have a moment.” Gently dislodging Alucard, Anderson stood. Great pillars of smoke wafted from Vatican City. “You’re a worthy opponent, Alucard. We'll fight again."
“我们一刻也不能耽搁。”安德森轻轻推开阿卡多，站起身来。梵蒂冈城上空正升腾着巨大的烟柱。“你是个可敬的对手，阿卡多。我们还会再战的。”

Alucard arched his eyebrows at him. “Haven’t lost hope yet?”
阿卡多对他挑起眉毛：“还没放弃希望吗？”

“I can't afford to lose hope,” said Anderson simply, turning to approach the Vatican.
“我承受不起绝望的代价。”安德森简短地回答，转身朝梵蒂冈走去。

The smoke from the burning St. Peter's Basilica billowed into him as he headed for the entrance. He ignored the fire; a trifle for a regenerator, and pushed through the Basilica and toward the Civil Administration Building. That looked to be where Geremia was now, based on the rubble he could just make out through the smoke. When he emerged into the city, there was little activity other than the destruction being wrought by Geremia. There were corpses littering the ground, some burnt, others torn asunder with unnaturally cauterised wounds, but very few actual living people. Maxwell had probably gathered the survivors and sent them to the opposite side of the city.
燃烧的圣彼得大教堂冒出滚滚浓烟，当他走向入口时，黑烟不断向他涌来。他无视了火焰——这对再生者而言不过是小麻烦——径直穿过大教堂，朝着民政管理大楼前进。透过烟雾隐约可见的废墟显示，杰雷米亚此刻应该就在那里。当他进入城区时，除了杰雷米亚造成的破坏外几乎看不到任何活动迹象。地面上散落着尸体，有些被烧焦，有些带着异常灼合的撕裂伤，但几乎见不到活人。麦克斯韦大概已经把幸存者集中转移到了城市另一端。

He drew bayonets as he trudged past the bodies. Numerous corpses looked to be Geremia's own men, and one was clearly the Hellsing butler, surrounded by wires that shimmered under the flames, but a few faces he recognised as Iscariot soldiers and it brought a tightness to his jaw. How many had fallen at this mad man’s hand? He’d trained them all himself, knew them all personally to some degree, and that they died to a turncoat infuriated him. There was grief there, beneath it all, but he was so practised at pushing that down that it remained in the recesses of his mind.
他拖着脚步穿过尸体时拔出了刺刀。许多尸体看起来是杰雷米亚的手下，其中一具显然是 Hellsing 的管家，周身缠绕的金属丝在火焰中闪烁微光，但有几张面孔他认出是伊斯加略的士兵，这让他咬紧了牙关。有多少人倒在这个疯子手下？这些人都是他亲手训练的，或多或少都有私交，想到他们死于叛徒之手就令他怒火中烧。在这一切之下确实藏着悲痛，但他早已习惯将其压抑，任其蛰伏在意识深处。

His molars grit as he advanced on the source of the destruction. While he couldn’t make this death slow, he’d at least make it painful.
他朝毁灭源头逼近时磨紧了后槽牙。虽然无法让这死亡来得缓慢，但至少要让它充满痛苦。

The Administrator building had been reduced to steaming rubble. It was unlikely the chapel attached had survived, which had Anderson’s stomach clenching. He drew in a heavy breath and pressed on into the billowing smoke rising from the ashes of the Vatican’s pride. He could just make out a shadow through it, see a flash of orange among some of the carnage.
管理局大楼已化作冒着热气的废墟。附属的小教堂恐怕也未能幸免，这个念头让安德森胃部绞痛。他深吸一口气，继续迈向从梵蒂冈荣耀的余烬中升腾而起的浓烟。透过烟尘，他勉强能辨认出一道黑影，在满目疮痍中瞥见一抹橘色闪动。

“Geremia!” he snarled.  "杰雷米亚！"他厉声吼道。

The figure paused, then turned.
那个身影停顿了一下，然后转过身来。

“Father Anderson,” said Geremia, his voice sounding hoarse and gargling.
"安德森神父，"杰雷米亚的声音嘶哑而含混，像是含着血水在说话。

Anderson found out why when he finally broke through the smoke and laid eyes upon what Geremia had reduced himself to. There were a multitude of bright red veins erupting from his side and crawling up his body, encasing one arm and coiling around his eyes. A parody of wings spread out from his back, constructed of the very same veins that stretched up his body. They were clearly sourced from Geremia himself rather than a relic, because the extraction of them had turned Geremia emancipated and pale, almost skeletal, his skin clinging sickly to his bones. As Anderson got closer, he could see the veins undulating and smell the copper of Geremia's blood.
当安德森终于冲破烟雾看清杰雷米亚的现状时，他明白了原因。无数猩红的血管从他肋侧爆裂而出，沿着躯体向上攀爬，包裹住整条手臂，又盘绕在眼周。他背后展开的畸形翅膀正是由这些蔓延全身的血管构成——显然源自杰雷米亚自身而非圣遗物，因为抽取这些血管使他形销骨立，苍白得近乎骷髅，皮肤病态地紧贴着骨骼。随着距离拉近，安德森能看见那些脉管在蠕动，能闻到杰雷米亚血液中的铜腥味。

There was a dullness to Geremia’s gaze when he turned his eyes on Anderson.  He wasn’t all there. The relics he was wielding – the Lance of Longinus in one hand, the true cross burned into his chest – had broken something in him.
当杰雷米亚将视线转向安德森时，目光中透着呆滞。他已经神志不清了。手中握持的圣遗物——右手朗基努斯之枪，胸前烙刻的真十字架——已经摧毁了他内心的某些东西。

This, Anderson realised, was what he could have become. A pitiful, broken creature; a monster, and maybe he would have taken that route had Alucard not interjected when he did, not made his displeasure known.
安德森意识到，这正是他可能成为的模样。一个可悲的、支离破碎的生物；一个怪物。若非阿卡德及时介入，若非他明确表达了不满，或许自己早已走上这条道路。

“You destroyed yourself,” said Anderson, falling into a defensive stance.
"你亲手毁了自己，"安德森说着摆出防御姿态。

“Perhaps,” said Geremia, his twisted wings fluttering. He set the end of the lance on the ground and sparks flew from beneath it. “I knew… I knew there would be a sacrifice.”
"也许吧，"杰里米亚答道，畸形的翅膀微微颤动。他将长矛末端抵在地上，火花从下方迸溅而出。"我早知道...早知道需要牺牲。"

“Was it worth it?”  "值得吗？"

Geremia twisted his pale lips. “To save the world? To enact God's will? Of course.”
杰里米亚扭曲着他苍白的嘴唇。"拯救世界？执行上帝的旨意？当然。"

“Save the world,” said Anderson with a snort. “By destroying institutions you don’t agree with? There’s over a billion Catholic’s in the world. Good luck with that.” He gave his bayonets a twirl, looking Geremia over for a means to end this fast. His heart had been rendered bulbous by the storm of veins and was now partially exposed. Perhaps that would be a route to victory. Destroying the heart killed most other creatures.
"拯救世界，"安德森嗤之以鼻。"通过摧毁你不认同的机构？世界上有超过十亿天主教徒。祝你好运。"他旋转着刺刀，打量着杰里米亚寻找快速结束战斗的方法。他的心脏被暴起的血管撑得肿大，此刻部分暴露在外。或许那会是个取胜的突破口。摧毁心脏能杀死大多数生物。

“I don’t need to kill everyone following the false religion,” said Geremia, raising his weapon. “Just those on top, and the others will fall in line in time.”
"我不需要杀死所有追随伪信仰的人，"杰里米亚举起武器说道，"只要除掉上层，其他人自然会逐渐归顺。"

Geremia slammed the end of the lance into the ground and fire surged toward Anderson like a bolt. An average man wouldn’t have been able to avoid it. Anderson, with his enhanced senses, managed to get away with little more than a singe on his coat tails. He flung a barrage of bayonets at Geremia in hopes of distracting him long enough to get in close, but none of them struck home. With a wave of the lance, they’d all been turned to ash.
杰里米亚将长枪末端猛击地面，火焰如闪电般扑向安德森。普通人根本无从躲避。而感官强化的安德森仅以烧焦的衣角为代价成功脱身。他朝杰里米亚投掷出一连串刺刀，指望能分散对方注意以便近身，但所有刀刃都未能命中。随着长枪一挥，它们尽数化为了灰烬。

The bolts of fire continued to come as he circled Geremia, looking for an opening. Structures were shattered behind him and he didn’t dare look, didn’t want to see what destruction was being done to the already mangled Vatican City. He remained focused on Geremia. Threw bayonet after bayonet, some grazing past Geremia, others being burnt before they could make contact. None came close to inflicting any grievous harm or even distracting him long enough for Anderson to surge in. 
火焰箭矢持续袭来，他在杰雷米亚周围盘旋游走，寻找进攻空隙。身后建筑物不断崩塌，他却不敢回头，不愿目睹这座早已支离破碎的梵蒂冈城正遭受怎样的摧残。全部注意力都锁定在杰雷米亚身上。刺刀接二连三掷出，有些擦过对方身躯，更多则在接触前就被烈焰吞噬。没有一击能造成致命伤害，甚至连牵制对方片刻让安德森突进的机会都没有。

It became clear after a few minutes of this dance that he wasn’t going to be able to advance without sacrifice. Nothing new to Anderson, though this would undoubtedly be a far more painful sacrifice than those that had been required to defeat paltry opponents. He crossed six bayonets to form a shield and barrelled forward, grunting as the first burst of fire shattered two of the bayonets, and letting out a low, pained hiss at the next attack, which shattered a further three blades and sent fire licking into him. It seared a hole straight through his clothes, skin and muscle like they were tissue paper. If he got hit head on with those flames, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to regenerate. The cauterisation would certainly make it difficult even if he could. As it was, his wounds were still burning when he managed to slam a bayonet into the man’s chest, who moved just in time to avoid getting it in the heart.
这场死亡之舞持续数分钟后，他意识到不付出代价就无法推进。对安德森而言这本是常态，但这次要付出的代价远比击败杂鱼对手时惨痛得多。他交叉六柄刺刀组成盾牌猛冲向前，第一波火焰击碎两柄时发出闷哼，随后攻击又摧毁三柄，火舌舔舐身体的剧痛让他发出嘶声。火焰如同烧穿纸巾般洞穿他的衣物、皮肤与肌肉。若被这火焰正面击中，他怀疑自己能否再生。即便可以，烧灼的伤口也定会阻碍恢复。当他终于将刺刀捅入对方胸膛时，伤口仍在燃烧——对方及时侧身避开了心脏要害。

Up close, the man looked even more monstrous, his face gaunt and eyes sockets hollowed, his teeth too white and his lips too thin to cover them, his heart visibly beating and the crawl of veins pulsing with it. It was enough to make Anderson’s stomach turn. He grit his teeth and pressed closer, ignoring the overwhelming scent of copper and death and heaving the bayonet to the side with both hands.
近距离看，这人形怪物更显可怖：凹陷的面颊与空洞眼窝，惨白牙齿从薄唇间龇出，搏动的心脏与蠕动的血管清晰可见。这景象令安德森胃部翻涌。他咬紧牙关抵近，无视浓重的血腥与死亡气息，双手握紧刺刀横向发力。

“No!” the beast snarled, striking Anderson so hard in the head with a fist that his vision flashed white and he staggered back.
"休想！"怪物怒吼着挥拳重击安德森头部，霎时眼前白光炸裂，他踉跄着后退。

The bayonet was hauled out and away before he could recover his grip and he shouted in frustration, barrelling in again. This time, Geremia was prepared. He brought the lance down hard over Anderson’s upper arm, and the pain was so immense, so all-consuming that it took Anderson a good moment to register that his arm had been severed. He fell onto his knees, shaking fingers rising to the cauterised stump and pain rendering his vision blurry.  
刺刀被猛地抽出时他还没来得及重新握紧，安德森愤怒地吼叫着再次冲上前去。这次杰雷米亚早有准备，长枪重重劈在安德森上臂，剧痛如此强烈、如此吞噬一切，以至于安德森过了好一会儿才意识到自己的手臂已被斩断。他跪倒在地，颤抖的手指摸向烧灼的断肢截面，疼痛让他的视线变得模糊。

He wasn’t on his knees long. Geremia hauled him up by the collar of his clergy jacket and set the tip of the lance against his throat. It didn’t feel like metal. It felt unnaturally slimy, so at odds with its appearance. The red crawling up the shaft of the lance reached for Anderson and he wasn’t able to raise his arm fast enough to prevent it from curling around his neck. The tendrils descended on him like grape vines into a fence, curling around his arm and chest and legs, securing him in place.
他跪着的时间并不长。杰雷米亚揪住他神职外套的领子将他提起，枪尖抵住他的喉咙。那触感不像金属，反而带着反常的黏腻，与外观截然不同。沿着枪杆蔓延的猩红物质向安德森袭来，他还来不及抬手阻止，那些东西就已缠上他的脖颈。藤蔓般的血丝如葡萄藤攀附篱笆般缠绕他的手臂、胸膛与双腿，将他牢牢固定。

“All that raw power they gave you,” said Geremia in a hiss. “And it’s useless.”
"他们赐予你如此原始的力量，"杰雷米亚嘶声道，"却毫无用处。"

The veins crawled past his lips and he bit down, gagging as blood burst under his teeth. He couldn’t even spit it out as further veins were quick to invade his mouth. A death at the hands of Geremia's power promised to be an agonising one. He struggled with all his might, kicked his legs, strained his arms, gnashed his teeth, but those rope-like veins were so numerous that they were impossible to repel.
血管状物质爬过他的嘴唇，安德森狠狠咬下，当血液在齿间迸溅时他几欲作呕。更多的血管迅速侵入他的口腔，连吐出血沫都做不到。死在杰雷米亚的能力之下注定是场漫长的酷刑。他拼尽全力挣扎，踢动双腿，绷紧手臂，咬得牙齿咯咯作响，但绳索般的血管层层叠叠，根本无从挣脱。

Geremia leaned so close that Anderson could smell his putrid, unnatural breath. “Don’t think for a moment you don’t deserve this messy end.”
杰里米亚靠得如此之近，安德森能闻到他腐朽而不自然的呼吸。"别以为你不配这样肮脏的结局。"

Anderson couldn’t get out more than a grunt. The oral intrusion was making him gag and his gut churn, was making bile rise into his throat and tears spring to the corners of his eyes. At every stage of his life, no matter how dire, he’d always held onto hope. But that was leaving him now, and as Geremia loomed over him, invaded him, the beginnings of fear and helplessness started to set in.
安德森只能发出含糊的呜咽。口腔的入侵让他作呕，肠胃翻腾，胆汁涌上喉咙，泪水在眼角打转。在他生命的每个阶段，无论多么绝望，他都始终紧握希望。但现在希望正离他而去，当杰里米亚笼罩着他、侵犯他时，恐惧与无助开始蔓延。

He squirmed like a caught rat in the man’s grip, each hot breath from Geremia rolling over his face. If his mouth hadn’t been so full, he probably would have screamed.
他在对方钳制下像被捕的老鼠般扭动，杰里米亚每一次灼热的呼吸都喷在他脸上。若不是嘴里塞得太满，他恐怕早已尖叫出声。

This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be how it ended. This couldn't be happening to him.
这不可能发生。这不该是结局。这种事不该落在他身上。

“God of peace, you offer eternal healing to those who believe in you,” recited Geremia with a mocking stretch of his lips. “You have refreshed your servant Anderson with food and drink from heaven: lead him safely into the kingdom of-“
"和平之神啊，你赐予信徒永恒的治愈，"杰雷米亚嘴角扭曲地念诵着，"你以天国的饮食使你的仆人安德森重获新生：引领他平安进入那国度——"

The terrible assault abruptly ended as Geremia lurched forward. He dropped Anderson to the ground, stumbling into him and almost falling over. Anderson saw the hunched, haggard form of Alucard standing behind Geremia and acted immediately: he slammed his remaining hand hard into Geremia's chest, over his heart, while Alucard launched himself into Geremia’s back. The man howled in frustration and made to thrust the end of the lance into Anderson. It was only Alucard’s quick acting that prevented the attack from striking. Shadows curled tight around Geremia’s arms and hauled him backwards, giving Anderson greater access to the pulsing bulge of his heart.
可怕的攻击骤然中断，杰雷米亚猛地向前踉跄。他将安德森摔在地上，自己也被绊得几乎跌倒。安德森看见阿尔卡特佝偻憔悴的身影出现在杰雷米亚背后，立即采取行动：他用仅存的手狠狠砸向杰雷米亚胸口心脏位置，与此同时阿尔卡特从背后扑向杰雷米亚。那人发出愤怒的嚎叫，试图将长矛末端刺入安德森体内。多亏阿尔卡特迅速反应，阴影如铁箍般缠住杰雷米亚双臂将他向后拖拽，才让安德森能更直接地触碰到那颗剧烈搏动的心脏。

Pain lanced up his arm as he fisted his fingers around Geremia’s heart, tearing it out with such force that there wasn’t any time for the veins to block the trajectory of his arm. He crushed it between his fingers, blood and viscera spilling onto the ground while Geremia’s howling transitioned into a shout of pain.
当他的手指攥住杰雷米亚心脏时，剧痛如闪电般窜上手臂。他猛然将其扯出，力道之大使得血管根本来不及阻挡他手臂的轨迹。他在指间碾碎那颗心脏，鲜血与内脏碎块泼洒在地，杰雷米亚的嚎叫随之转为痛苦的嘶吼。

It didn’t kill him. The man continued to fight, and the proximity meant Alucard wasn’t able to get out of the way when he slammed the blunt end of the lance into him- the blunt end being the only reason he lived through it. He gave a hoarse shout and released his hold of Geremia, and Anderson realised belatedly that the True Cross must have been keeping him alive. He was persisting on holy power alone.
这一击没能杀死他。那人仍在战斗，距离如此之近，当对方用长矛钝端猛击时，阿卡多根本来不及躲避——正是这钝端让他侥幸活了下来。他嘶哑地喊叫着松开了杰雷米亚，安德森这才迟钝地意识到，真十字架恐怕一直在维持着他的生命。他仅凭圣力在强撑。

Anderson curled his fingers around the edges of the cross and tugged as hard as his exhausted body would let him, pressing his heels into the ground to give him that little bit more force. It wouldn’t dislodge. Geremia caught him about the throat and crushed the vulnerable cartilage. 
安德森的手指扣住十字架边缘，用疲惫身躯所能使出的最大力气拉扯，脚跟抵住地面以增加那一点点力道。但它纹丝不动。杰雷米亚掐住他的咽喉，碾碎了脆弱的软骨。

“Alucard,” he squeezed out.
"阿卡多，"他挤出气音。

He must have been functioning on a slither of strength, but Alucard still managed to slam his hand through Geremia’s back and push the cross out of him. The suddenness of the attack had Geremia faltering, then twisting his weapon within Alucard, who cried out in agony yet didn’t relax his grip. Alucard pushed; Anderson pulled, and the hot metal started to cool the further out of Geremia it got. The gentle thrum running through it faded as well, like a dying heartbeat.
阿卡多当时肯定只剩一丝气力，却仍成功将手掌贯穿杰雷米亚后背，将十字架从他体内推出。这记突袭让杰雷米亚身形一晃，随即在阿卡多体内扭转武器，后者发出痛苦的嚎叫却仍未松手。阿卡多推，安德森拉，炽热的金属随着脱离杰雷米亚躯体而逐渐冷却。那流淌其中的微弱脉动也随之消散，如同渐渐停跳的心脏。

He couldn’t breathe. Black crawled at the edges of his eyes. He gave one last, desperate haul of his body, putting all the strength remaining in his body behind it, and finally tore the cross free. A shudder ran through Geremia and he stumbled forward with his arm outstretched, blindly seeking Anderson. The lance slipped out of his hand before he collapsed to the ground at Anderson’s feet, his body flaking and burning away until there was nothing left of him but the tattered cloth of his clergy wear.
他无法呼吸。黑暗在视野边缘蔓延。他用尽体内残存的全部力气，最后一次绝望地拖拽身体，终于将十字架扯离。杰雷米亚浑身颤抖着向前踉跄，手臂茫然地伸向安德森的方向。长矛从他指间滑落，随后他便重重摔倒在安德森脚边，身躯如灰烬般剥落燃烧，最终只剩那件破败的教士服残片。

Anderson looked at Alucard, took one step toward him, and fell as well, landing hard on his knees among the rubble and filth. There was nothing left in him, not even the strength to lift his head. He was beyond depleted. The sheer stubbornness that had carried him to this point had faded away along with the monster that had generated it.
安德森望向阿尔卡特，刚迈出一步便同样跪倒在瓦砾与污秽之中。他连抬头的力气都不剩，彻底耗尽了所有。支撑他走到此刻的顽固意志，已随着催生这份执念的怪物一同消散。

He was joined a moment by Alucard, who looked unnaturally fatigued as he brought their foreheads together and gave a weak smile.
阿尔卡特随即来到他身旁，将前额抵住他的额头。这位吸血鬼亲王露出疲惫到极点的虚弱笑容，那倦态甚至超越了非人者的极限。

"How the hell'd you...?" Anderson didn't finish the question, too tired to fill in the rest.
"你他妈怎么......？"安德森没能问完，连补充句子的精力都已丧失。

"Conveniently, there are many virgins here," said Alucard, smiling wryly.
"真方便，这里有不少处女呢，"阿卡德苦笑着说。

Anderson gave a weak scoff. "Enough for you to recover them?" After too long a pause, he clarified: "The relics, I mean."
安德森虚弱地嗤了一声。"够你恢复用的吗？"停顿太久后，他补充道："我是说那些圣遗物。"

“Not right now,” said Alucard quietly. “We need to rest first."
"现在不行，"阿卡德轻声说。"我们得先休息。"

“But the…” Anderson wobbled from side to side. “We need to retrieve them. We can't let them... can't risk...” Try as he might, he couldn't find enough strength to finish. His consciousness was fading.
"但是那些..."安德森摇摇晃晃。"我们必须找回它们。不能放任...不能冒险..."尽管竭力挣扎，他还是没有力气把话说完。意识正逐渐离他远去。

Alucard’s cool fingers stroked along his nape. “If he didn’t bring them with him, they’ve not yet unlocked their power. You need to recover your strength for the task ahead.” He guided Anderson closer, folding an arm over his shoulders. His solid presence was comforting and Anderson sank into it, his eyelids drooping. “Let go, Anderson,” Alucard murmured. “I have you. You can let go.”
阿卡德冰凉的手指抚过他的后颈。"如果他没随身携带，说明他们尚未觉醒力量。你需要为接下来的任务恢复体力。"他将安德森拉近，手臂环过对方肩膀。那坚实的触感令人安心，安德森沉溺其中，眼睑渐渐低垂。"放下戒备吧，安德森，"阿卡德低语，"有我在。你可以卸下重担。"

“You have me,” said Anderson tiredly. “Alright. Alright.”
"有你在，"安德森疲惫地应道，"好吧。好吧。"

He closed his eyes and let the dark overtake him.
他闭上双眼，任凭黑暗将自己吞噬。

It took the Vatican laboratory a full day to recover his arm, and it was a further three hours of work before sensation returned to the limb. The arm ached faintly after, which suggested there was still a little more healing to go, but Anderson was out of the Vatican laboratory the moment he’d been given a relatively clean bill of health and practically running the distance between the laboratory and Maxwell’s office. On his way past the Civil Admiration building, he saw people gathering rubble and loading it into wheelbarrows and bagged bodies lined side-by-side a few feet from where the cleaning was taking place. The sight made his jaw clench. 
梵蒂冈实验室耗费整整一日才修复他的手臂，又经过三小时治疗才恢复知觉。事后手臂隐隐作痛，表明仍需些许时日痊愈，但安德森刚拿到基本健康的诊断就冲出实验室，几乎是一路狂奔至马克斯韦尔的办公室。途经民政大楼时，他看见人们正清理瓦砾装入手推车，而距清理现场数英尺外，袋装尸体整齐排列着。这景象令他咬紧了牙关。

“Father!”  “父亲！”

He was jarred out of his thoughts by a lithe body slamming into him. Yumie wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders, squeezing him with a strength one wouldn’t think such a small woman could possess, and he returned the hug just as fiercely, burying his face in her hair.
一个轻盈的身躯猛地撞进他怀里，将他从思绪中惊醒。由美紧紧环抱住他的肩膀，那娇小身躯爆发的力道令人难以置信，而他以同样激烈的拥抱回应，将脸埋进她的发丝间。

“Yumie,” he said, with audible relief. “I’m glad to see you in good health.”
“由美，”他的声音里带着明显的宽慰，“看到你安然无恙真好。”

“And you, father,” said Yumie, her voice trembling. She eased her grip on him and looked him in the face, her wide eyes glassy and bright. “I- I wanted to wait in the laboratory for you, but there’s so much cleaning up to do. That bastard, he…” Her bottom lip trembled. “I’m glad you’re okay. You, Heinkel and Maxwell are still here, and I'm glad for that.”
“您也是，父亲，”由美颤抖着说。她稍稍松开怀抱，仰头凝视他的面容，那双大眼睛泛着晶莹的泪光。“我...我本想在实验室等您，但到处都是需要清理的残局。那个混蛋，他...”她的下唇微微发抖。“幸好您没事。您、海因克尔和马克斯韦尔都还在...这比什么都重要。”

“Heinkel’s in good health?” Knowing Heinkel, she was probably leading the clean up efforts. He looked again to the mess of the Administration building and the pain was duller this time. “Tell her I’m awake,” he said. “I imagine she’ll want to speak to me later.”
“海因克尔身体还好吧？”以他对海因克尔的了解，她八成正在主持善后工作。他再次望向行政大楼的废墟，这次痛楚已变得钝重。“告诉她我醒了，”他说，“我猜她晚些时候会想找我谈谈。”

“She tried to get into the labs earlier to do just that,” said Yumie with a warm smile. “She pokes fun at me for being emotional, but I know she’ll be fighting the urge to cry the moment she sets eyes on you.”
“她早些时候就想闯进实验室找你呢，”由美带着温暖的笑意说道，“她总笑话我太感情用事，但我知道她见到你的第一眼就会强忍泪水。”

“Can’t say I’m not on the precipice myself,” admitted Anderson.
“我自己也快绷不住了，”安德森神父坦承。

Her eyes wandered over to the body bags, fixing on them briefly before her attention returned to Anderson. “Like you always say, Father: we’ll see them again in Limbo.”
她的目光游移到那些尸袋上，短暂凝视后又回到安德森身上。“就像您常说的，神父：我们会在灵薄狱再见到他们的。”

He took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you,” he said, pressing a kiss into Yumie’s hair, as he had often done when she’d been a child. “I have to speak to Maxwell. This isn’t over."
他深吸一口气，点了点头。"谢谢，"他说着在由美的发间落下一吻，就像她小时候他常做的那样。"我得去找马克斯维尔谈谈。这事还没完。"

"I know," said Yumie solemnly. "It won't be over for a long time, even after we've found them all."
"我知道，"由美严肃地说。"就算我们找到他们所有人，这事也远不会结束。"

Anderson let out a long exhale at the truth in her remark. "Take care of yourself while I’m gone, and take care of Heinkel.”
安德森因她话语中的真相长叹一声。"我不在的时候照顾好自己，也照顾好海因克尔。"

“I will, Father.”  "我会的，神父。"

He gave her shoulders a warm squeeze before pressing past to hurry the rest of the way to the Iscariot Administration building. The halls were unnaturally quiet. Most everyone must have been sent out to contribute to the clean-up efforts, because the only other people present were a few guards stationed at Maxwell’s door. Harried though he was, Anderson still took the time to give them a polite nod of greeting before pushing his way inside.
他在她肩上温暖地轻捏了一下，随即擦身而过，加快脚步赶往伊斯加略行政大楼。走廊异常安静。大多数人想必都被派去参与清理工作了，因为现场仅剩的只有驻守在马克斯韦尔门前的几名警卫。尽管行色匆匆，安德森仍不忘向他们礼貌点头致意，而后推门而入。

The peculiar sight of Maxwell and Integra deep in discussion over a map spread on Maxwell’s desk was the first thing Anderson was greeted with, followed by the equally as peculiar sight of Alucard lounging nearby with his legs propped up on a vacant chair. Upon seeing Anderson, Alucard beamed at him, raising a bare-gloved hand in greeting. 
映入安德森眼帘的第一幅奇异景象，是马克斯韦尔与因特古拉正俯身研究摊在办公桌上的地图；紧接着映入眼帘的，是同样奇异的画面——阿卡德正懒洋洋地斜靠在旁，双脚架在一张空椅子上。见到安德森时，阿卡德粲然一笑，举起未戴手套的那只手打了个招呼。

The first thought to spring into his head was that it was good to see Alucard. To know he was alright, still his inappropriately exuberant self. Maybe a little worn around the edges, if the lines under his eyes was anything to go by, but in good health. Whole and happy. How strange it was to be relieved to see his enemy well.
他脑海中闪过的第一个念头是：见到阿卡德真好。知道对方安然无恙，仍是那副不合时宜的欢脱模样。或许眼下的细纹透露出些许疲惫，但总体健康无恙。完整而快乐。多奇怪啊，竟会因宿敌安好而如释重负。

“You’re awake!” Maxwell sprang to his full height and urged Anderson closer with a wave of his hands. “About time. We were about to send the vampire off on his own.”
"你总算醒了！"马克斯韦尔猛地直起身，双手挥舞着催促安德森上前，"再不来我们就要让吸血鬼单独行动了。"

Anderson glanced at Alucard, who was still beaming, and he tried to ignore how his heart beat that little bit faster at the implications of ‘on his own’. He stepped up to Maxwell’s desk. “Seems like I missed a lot while unconscious.”
安德森瞥了一眼仍在微笑的阿卡德，努力忽略那句"独自行动"让他心跳略微加速的暗示。他走到马克斯韦尔的桌前。"看来我昏迷期间错过了不少事情。"

“We don’t have time to bring you up to speed here,” said Integra, turning away from Maxwell to start gathering papers into a pile. Intel on the mission, presumably. “Iscariot tracked down one of Geremia’s holds some hours ago. The men sent to observe the area went quiet thirty minutes ago.”
"没时间在这里给你补课了，"因特古拉说着转身离开马克斯韦尔，开始将文件整理成堆——想必是任务情报。"数小时前伊斯加略追踪到了杰里迈亚的一个据点。三十分钟前派去监视该区域的人员失去了联系。"

“But,” said Maxwell. “I expect you and the vampire-“
"但是，"马克斯韦尔说，"我希望你和那个吸血鬼——"

“Alucard,” piqued up Alucard.
"是阿卡德，"阿卡德插嘴道。

Maxwell cast him a dry look. “Cooperating with Hellsing is strange enough without trying to make me refer to you like a person, but fine, Alucard.” He cleared his throat. “We’ve already recovered the most powerful of the relics, and Geremia only wielded two, so I doubt they’ve been able to unlock the full potential of the rest.”
马克斯韦尔给了他一个干巴巴的眼神。"和 Hellsing 合作已经够奇怪了，还要我像对待人类一样称呼你？不过好吧，阿卡德。"他清了清嗓子。"我们已经回收了最强大的圣遗物，杰里米亚只持有两件，所以我怀疑他们还没能解锁其余圣遗物的全部潜力。"

“They must have been able to unlock some of that power if we’ve not heard back from your men,” said Integra.
"如果你的手下至今杳无音信，说明他们肯定已经解锁了部分力量。"因特古拉说道。

“Then let’s not waste any more time.”
"那我们就别再浪费时间了。"

Maxwell grabbed a manilla envelope and stuffed the papers into it, extending Anderson the messily compiled information. Anderson accepted it, though he didn’t expect to read more than the summary. This was a straightforward task.
马克斯韦尔抓过一个牛皮纸信封，将文件胡乱塞进去，把那堆整理得乱七八糟的资料递给安德森。安德森接了过来，虽然他不打算细读，只看摘要就够了。这本来就是件直截了当的任务。

“If you’re here, I assume you’re well enough to go on this mission,” said Maxwell, his eyes jumping to Anderson’s arm.
“既然你来了，想必身体已经恢复得能执行任务了，”马克斯维尔说着，目光扫向安德森的手臂。

Anderson demonstrated its recovery with a good squeeze of his fist and a bulge of his bicep. “You assume correct. The doctors gave me a clean bill of health.” Well, almost one. Close enough that he didn’t feel the need to specify the ‘almost’.
安德森握紧拳头鼓起肱二头肌，展示着康复情况。“您猜得没错。医生们给我开了健康证明。”好吧，几乎是健康证明。反正接近到他认为没必要特意强调“几乎”的程度。

“Good.” Maxwell flapped his hands toward the exit. “Go. Both of you. There’s already a jet waiting for you; Renal-” A beat, a breath, and then he corrected himself: “Bernard will be waiting to drive you there.”
“很好。”马克斯维尔朝出口方向摆了摆手。“去吧。你们俩都去。已经有专机在等着了；雷纳——”他顿了顿，深吸一口气改口道：“伯纳德会开车送你们过去。”

"Renaldo too?" asked Anderson, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.
“雷纳尔多也去？”安德森问道，声音反常地轻了下来。

Maxwell gave a solemn nod.
马克斯威尔庄重地点了点头。

One more name among the fallen, but Renaldo had died protecting the Vatican, and for all the pain Anderson felt at his passing and all the fury at who had been the cause, he took comfort in the fact it was the sort of death he would have taken pride in. Iscariot's weren’t the ‘die quietly in one’s bed’ kind of people; it was part of why they were in Iscariot in the first place. All his men held that sentiment, and it eased the weight of grief to know they had died for their brethren, for the pope, to protect Catholicism, and that was how they’d wanted to die. How Anderson wanted to die one day too.
阵亡名单上又添一个名字，但雷纳尔多是为保护梵蒂冈而牺牲的。尽管安德森为他的离去感到痛心，也为始作俑者满腔怒火，但想到这是雷纳尔多引以为豪的牺牲方式，他心中便稍感宽慰。伊斯加略的人从来不是"安详病逝于床榻"的类型——这正是他们加入组织的原因。所有部下都怀着这种信念，想到他们是为保护同袍、为教皇、为捍卫天主教而牺牲，而且这正是他们渴望的结局，悲痛的重量便减轻了几分。这也是安德森自己某日渴望迎接的终局。

He slipped the manilla envelope into his coat and stepped out. Alucard followed him so close that his feet brushed Anderson’s heels. Anderson didn’t confront him on the proximity. The man had given him a blowjob; it was too little too late to start feigning discomfort now.
他将牛皮纸信封塞进大衣，迈步而出。阿尔卡特跟得极近，鞋尖几乎蹭到安德森的后脚跟。安德森没有对这种亲密距离提出异议。毕竟这男人刚给他口交过，现在才假装不适未免太迟也太假。

They were accosted by Bernard the moment they stepped outside and were ushered into the back of a vehicle. The trip to the strip took all of a few minutes, or at least felt that way with how fast their car went hurtling through Italy, and Bernard practically pushed them up the boarding steps and into the cabin once they'd arrived. The plane was readying to take off before they’d even managed to find a seat. As there were only four, they could have sat apart from each other, but Alucard selected the chair directly across from Anderson, of course.
刚踏出门外，伯纳德就截住他们，催促着推进一辆车的后座。前往机场的行程不过几分钟——或者说在疾驰穿越意大利的车速下感觉如此。抵达后伯纳德几乎是把他们推上登机梯塞进机舱。还没等找到座位，飞机就已准备起飞。舱内仅有的四个座位本可以分开就座，但阿尔卡特当然选择了正对安德森的位置。

“Alucard,” said Anderson, leaning back in his chair. “Say what’s on your mind.”
“阿卡德，”安德森靠在椅背上说道，“有话直说。”

“You wish to hear me speak?” said Alucard, amused. “Are you sure?”
“你想听我说话？”阿卡德饶有兴致地问，“确定吗？”

“I've passed the point of denial. I know you have something to say to me, so say it.”
“我已经过了自欺欺人的阶段。我知道你有话要对我说，那就说吧。”

Alucard tipped his head to the side. “You’re presuming quite a bit here, Anderson.”
阿卡德歪了歪头。“你倒是挺会自作主张啊，安德森。”

“Don’t tease me,” said Anderson, and it sounded much more needy than he’d intended it to. Alucard had to take the first step in solidifying- whatever this was. Anderson needed him to. And Alucard must have realised this, because he was much more genuine when he spoke again.
“别戏弄我，”安德森说道，语气比他原本打算的要渴求得多。阿卡德必须迈出第一步来巩固——无论这是什么。安德森需要他这么做。而阿卡德一定意识到了这点，因为他再次开口时语气真挚了许多。

“Very well.” Alucard reached forward to cup a hand around the back of Anderson’s neck, his thumb stroking along the fine hairs there. “You have me, Anderson. You have my fascination, my admiration, my fondness, and you have as much love as a being like me is capable of.”
“好吧。”阿卡德伸手抚上安德森的后颈，拇指轻轻摩挲着那里的细碎发茬。“你拥有我，安德森。你拥有我的迷恋、我的钦佩、我的喜爱，以及像我这样的存在所能给予的全部爱意。”

Anderson swallowed thickly. What fear those words brought, and what pleasure as well.
安德森艰难地咽了咽口水。这番话带来的恐惧与欢愉同样强烈。

“Is that what you wanted to hear?” asked Alucard, wearing an uncharacteristically gentle smile.
“这就是你想听的吗？”阿卡德问道，脸上挂着罕见的温柔笑容。

“Yes,” rasped Anderson.  “是。”安德森沙哑地回应。

Alucard drew him even closer, his lips gliding along his cheek and down to the curve of his ear. “I’d like to hear something from you as well.”
阿卡德将他拉得更近，双唇滑过他的脸颊，游移至耳廓。“我也想听你说些什么。”

Anderson slowly brought one of his hands to Alucard’s chest, letting his fingers get lost in the folds of his duster. Alucard's cool body temperature had become so familiar and so comfortable over the course of their time together.
安德森缓缓将一只手贴上阿卡德的胸膛，指尖陷入皮衣的褶皱中。在相处的时光里，对方冰凉的体温早已变得如此熟悉而令人安心。

“What?” he asked.  “什么？”他问道。

“Do I still have you, Anderson?”
“我还拥有你吗，安德森？”

 “Yes,” said Anderson immediately, pressing his fingers against the hollows of Alucard’s ribs, like he could reach inside and touch his atrophied heart.
“当然，”安德森不假思索地回答，手指抵住阿卡德肋骨的凹陷处，仿佛能探入其中触碰到那颗萎缩的心脏。

Everything was going to be fine. He felt that truly and wholly. They were going to recover the relics, return home, and continue fighting each other like they always had, with some affection interspersed in-between, and all the fear that accompanied having such feelings for a vampire – for his greatest enemy - didn't lessen the peace that thought brought. For the first time, he felt this fit somewhere into God's plan for him.
一切都会好起来的。他真切而完整地感受到这点。他们将找回圣物，返回家园，继续像往常那样彼此争斗，只是其间会掺杂些许温情。即便对吸血鬼——对他最大的敌人——怀有这种感情所带来的恐惧，也丝毫未减这个念头带来的平静。有生以来第一次，他感觉这一切契合了上帝为他安排的命运轨迹。

“You have me, Alucard.”  "你拥有我，阿卡德。"